


Horny Dangerpunk

by Lauren_ce



Category: League of Legends
Genre: Alternate Universe - K/DA (League of Legends), Blood, Bloodplay, Consensual Possession, Demon Sex, Evelynn is a sugar mommy, F/F, Healthy communication? In MY fic? (It's more likely than you think), Knifeplay, Monster Girls, Top meets SuperTop - who will win?, possession sex, soul sucking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-05
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:53:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 25,352
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27886333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lauren_ce/pseuds/Lauren_ce
Summary: Akali is a bartender in Busan. She's introduced to Evelynn through a mutual f(r)iend in Ahri, and the two hit it off very well.
Relationships: Ahri/Kai'Sa (League of Legends), Akali/Evelynn (League of Legends)
Comments: 58
Kudos: 581
Collections: K/DGay





	1. Akali's Playlist is Lonely

"She's such a bitch!"

Akali sighed for not the first time that night, blowing a stream of air to tousle her bangs. The rain sucked all the soul out of Busan, leaving the streets empty and the sky dark. Seoul at least had neon lights and a nightlife; this far away from the city center meant Akali had neither of those things to enjoy. Still, she was glad to be away.

"Why don't you make me another drink?" Kai'Sa suggested, pushing an empty glass across the bar. As far as offers of distraction went this one was fully transparent, but Akali grabbed the glass anyway, spinning it across an open palm before washing it. If there had been anyone else in the bar she'd just grab a new one, but it was Wednesday and Kai'Sa was her only customer.

"What do you want?"

"Nothing with alcohol," Kai'Sa said. "Ahri's picking me up in an hour and I don't want to be drunk."

"Lightweight," Akali accused, all bark.

"I'm not like you or Ahri," Kai'Sa conceded with a resigned shrug.

Akali shook the cocktail shaker in perfect rhythm before responding, the delay giving her time to choose her words. "You're remembering a me from a while ago," she said, straining a light pink drink into Kai'Sa's martini glass, topping it with a sprig of mint. "I'm probably just as lightweight as you by now."

Her mother had never approved of her. She was as traditional as they came; Akali was. . . not that. Instead of a tomboy daughter, her mother would've likely been happier with a son, or no child at all. Instead, she got a wild child that she had to pick up from the police station after she got caught tagging a homophobic politician's house with illegally imported phosphorescent paint. A daughter that was made to transfer schools every few years because her methods of "defending her friends" were a little too violent for the school board to stomach. Heck, Akali couldn't even wear the  _ uniform  _ correctly. Finding a stash of alcohol hidden under Akali's bed had been the final straw, the resulting fight leaving a rift where love that never existed should've been.

The clinking of multiple small bells heralded the arrival of a second patron. "Good evening," Akali said with a plastered-on smile, only to see that it was Ahri who strode in. "Oh, hey boss."

"Ahri!" Kai'Sa was up and leaping into Ahri's arms before she had time to prepare herself, nearly bowling the two of them over. Multiple tails sprouted next to the first in surprise as Ahri shifted low, catching Kai'Sa in her arms.

"One of these days you're actually going to catch me by surprise, and then will we be?" Her fox ears flicked with annoyance, but her face calmed the second Kai'Sa pecked her on the lips, unable to stay mad. "But for the record, I missed you too."

Ahri deposited Kai'Sa back on her barstool, having carried her effortlessly across the room from the doorway. If Akali hadn't grown up alongside Kai'Sa and therefore been desensitized to the quirks of those less-than-human, she'd have been impressed. Ahri took the seat next to her girlfriend, letting her fox tails fan out behind her to slowly drip rainwater onto the waxed floor. "How has the day been Akali?"

Akali shrugged, gesturing to the empty room. "Nothing too busy, it's been pretty quiet all day. At least, it was until this one showed up." Kai'Sa stuck out a tongue at her for a split second, schooling her face back into the picture of purity when Ahri glanced over. "Anyway, can I get you a drink?"

Ahri accepted a mojito with half the usual alcohol content, citing an early morning as her excuse not to have anything stronger. Akali began cleaning up and preparing for closing over the next half hour while Ahri and Kai'Sa talked, fading in and out of their conversation, contributing piecemeal to their talk. Her attention was called back when Ahri and Kai'Sa looked her way simultaneously.

"Sorry, I zoned out for a second there." She put the glass she'd been polishing down, thinking back to the general direction the conversation had been going. "Oh yeah, weren't you two talking about starting a band or something?"

"We could use a good writer like you," Ahri led, "I've listened to some of your old stuff when you were first posting online. It's good!"

The compliment brought Akali back to when she was eighteen, a full seven years ago. She'd started posting some of her lyrics online set to royalty-free backing, and ended up amassing a relatively large (for and indie) following. Both freestyle and written, she'd started incorporating Japanese and English lines into her verses as a way to practice the languages with the result of the formation of small fan bases outside of Korea.

Back in the present, Akali waved the compliment away like smoke. "Nah you don't want me. I haven't written anything good in a long time, and these days any time I do, it's too mellow to work with."

"Music wouldn't be what it is without heartbreak."

"Sure," Akali conceded, "but nobody wants to listen to sad music all day. Rapping about the past has a short shelf life." Ahri didn't respond, frowning into her glass. Seeing that the subject wasn't about to be abandoned, Akali offered more of an explanation. "It's not that I'm against trying. I can start, but it's getting out of my head afterwards that's the issue. Creative types always talk about the grind, that good work only comes with discipline. But if I'm not feeling inspired, my flows are closer to lead than gold, and I'm not an alchemist."

"You need to get laid!" Kai'Sa suddenly exclaimed, then slammed her hands over her mouth as both Akali and Ahri stared at her, slack-jawed. Her face was flushed crimson above her fingers, like she couldn't believe she'd just said that out loud.

Akali recovered before Ahri did, gesturing widely to the empty room. "Don't exactly see girls lining up," she tried to sigh, but the mellow mask from the music talk had cracked into a smile. "Uh boss? Why're you looking at me like that?"

Ahri was staring at her as if piecing together equations she'd built from reading Akali's. . . something. Alongside the tails and the ears, her teal eyes offset her from what was human just enough to be off-putting. She had a way of staring into the soul—Kai'Sa called it "romantic." If Akali wasn't acclimated to it, she'd call the otherworldly depth of Ahri's eyes something closer to "unnerving."

"I could introduce you to someone if you want," Ahri said.

"Oh jeez, now my  _ boss  _ is trying to get me set up!" Akali laughed, until she realized she was the only one doing so.

"Who did you have in mind?" Kai'Sa asked. Akali wanted to smack her for being so clearly intent on the idea from the outset.

"I haven't introduced you yet, but I had her in mind as another person to add to our group," Ahri answered. "She's. . . Well, in a word I'd say she's intense, but only in a complimentary way?"

_ They're absorbed enough in their conversation that I can probably sneak away.  _ No sooner had Akali thought those thoughts did Ahri tap a nail on the counter, freezing her in place without even looking.

"Instead of running away, would you mind making me another drink?"

"You're serious about this, aren't you?"

"I'll stop if you want me to." When Akali made no move to do so, Ahri's smile grew. "What're you looking for in a partner?"

_ I haven't been looking,  _ Akali wanted to say. But that wouldn't be fair to Ahri, who was suddenly invested in the idea of finding her a paramour. "I love a woman that can kick my ass, I guess?" she said.

Kai'Sa and Akali both stared at Ahri, her silence deafening.

"Well?"

Ahri pulled out her phone, the full smile on her face showing off her slightly longer than normal canines, "I'm texting her right now."

"Oh god."

"If you're truly not ready, I promise I'll stop," Ahri said, giving her one last chance to stop her.

"I'll give you a chance to introduce me to someone," she decided aloud. "The worst that can happen is I'm not interested, and 'Kali doesn't run away from new experiences." To emphasize the last point, she poked herself in the chest, flashing a cocky grin. She  _ hoped  _ it was cocky at least, she didn't feel too much pride in herself these days.

Kai'Sa's look of overeager excitement was beginning to match Ahri's, until Ahri pocketed her phone with a sigh. "No luck. Looks like she's busy tonight."

"Oh no," Kai'Sa's expression fell as Akali simultaneously said, "Too bad, she's missing out."

"But she knows that you work here, so maybe she'll stop by some other time," Ahri told her. "I just hope we can be there to see her then, it's been a while since we've caught up."

"How will I know if it's her?"

"Trust me, you'll know. And I'm not trying to be coy by saying it that way; Evelynn is a force best experienced firsthand. You'll thank me for it once the two of you meet."

Akali wanted to protest, but Ahri's self surety didn't offer her the chance too. It wasn't that she didn't trust her—quite the opposite. Ahri had gotten her the bartending job at Kai'Sa's request without even meeting her, knowing just from description that Akali would take well to it. Ahri's judgment was excellent. If anything, the fact that Ahri had such a strong idea of who to recommend for a date just made Akali eager to find out more about this mysterious woman.

"What's her name at least?"

"Evelynn."

Ahri and Kai'Sa left arm in arm some time later, after the conversation had petered out into comfortable silences and the occasional yawn from Kai'Sa. The rain outside had slowed as well, fading to a comfortable drizzle as the night grew darker.

"You're okay here?" Ahri asked, worry plain in her eyes. It was a strange point of dissonance; the woman had lived multiple of Akali's lifetimes and owned a bar, yet still worried at the prospect of Akali being left there to do her job. She'd taken offense at first, but soon realized that Ahri was just like that.

Akali waved her off with a smile, "I'm fine boss, have a good night."

It was at the stroke of midnight half an hour later that the lights flickered, coming back to life dimmer than before. Akali flicked her eyes up in confusion at the lower levels of light before catching a glimpse of something that wasn't supposed to be there. A woman stood in the doorway, her darkened figure silhouetted against the yellow street lights outside. Only her eyes were visible, a bright and deep gold against the darkness behind her, though Akali got the sense that something was twisting behind her, as if her shadow was only partly attached to her body.

_ Strange, I would've heard the sound of rain coming through the door if it had been opened.  _ As Akali looked more closely she could make out distinct movement coming from behind her, shadowy and sinuous shapes twisting idly in the edges of Akali's vision, tipped in sharp silver like the woman they attached to. She had to focus on them to see the flat ribbon of their forms, their existence matching up with what she'd noticed in the woman's unnaturally golden slitted eyes.  _ She's not human. _

"Oh." 

Shards of information began piecing themselves together in Akali's mind, like a mirror shattering in reverse, culminating with an " _ Oh!"  _

"You must be Evelynn," Akali guessed, looking over the woman with renewed interest. "It's good to meet you. Come on in."

A single eyebrow rose in surprise for a split second before a smile split Evelynn's lips. She strode forward, closing the distance between the doors and the bar. Ash she stepped from the shadows into the light her hair revealed itself to be a dark pink, pulled into a ponytail. "I see my reputation precedes me." Her voice was strong but soft, deep like a river at twilight. Comfortable enough either to lull you to sleep or sharp enough to keep you up at night.

"I thought you said you weren't able to come. This is a surprise."

"I thought so as well, but I changed my mind. I don't like following Ahri's orders, but she knows how to push my buttons." 

Evelynn showed Akali her phone, which displayed the message Ahri had sent her:  _ You should come meet the bartender at my bar. You'd like her. She'll interest you. _

"What does that even mean?" Akali mused, while Evelynn looked around at the bar, likely noting the lack of patrons. 

"Were you about to close?"

Akali checked the clock. "We close in 30 minutes, but that's not set in stone. Can I offer you something to drink?"

"Please do." It was a question more than it was an answer.  _ What kind of drink do you think I'd like?  _ Evelynn's eyes seemed to ask.

Akali crossed her arms and gave herself a moment to take in the woman before her.

Her black suit jacket framed her well, custom made. High-quality fabric, slightly off-black to match with her skin tones, hand-selected. A triple layered choker of half-inch black straps, adorned with silver spikes. All the color on her ensemble came from her hoop earrings, a chain connecting from her belt to a side pocket on the dress suit, and the spikes on her choker, all silver. With the unnatural gold of her eyes—slit like a predator's—the three-chrome combination outlined her in cold, her eyes the only source of heat.

Clothing aside, Evelynn sat still on her stool, legs crossed, eyes not straying from Akali's face. Overall, Evelynn was fancy, expensive, and flashy. It wasn't merely ostentatious though, she had good taste.  _ Excellent taste actually, god damn this woman is gorgeous _ . 

Evelynn's eyebrow quirked slightly as the thought ran through Akali's mind, but otherwise she kept looking at her,  _ into  _ her like she was something that either required or warranted close attention.

That thought turned over in Akali's mind until it clicked. Evelynn's appearance went beyond aesthetic, a seamless second skin, as much a part of who she was as her own flesh. She was the main performer on center stage; Akali opted to make her a drink that didn't require use of a cocktail shaker. _Bourbon old fashioned, then._ _Top shelf,_ obviously. _But which top shelf whiskey to use?_ _1792? No, she's not here to taste something needlessly sweet. Maker's Mark? Basic shit. Jim Beam? What is she, a Japanese salaryman? Michter's? Nah, I'm not trying to impress her with how much money the bar has. Then that leaves. . . William Larue Weller._

Lost deep in thought, she'd leaned forward on her elbows, halving the distance between them. Evelynn's eyes were much closer now than they'd been; Akali wasn't the only one who'd leaned in, apparently.  _ Whoops.  _

She didn't miss the way Evelynn's eyes narrowed in satisfaction as she pulled the bourbon down. The deep red bottle always reminded Akali of wine, but it flowed golden-orange as she poured it over the muddled sugar and bitters, the singular sphere of ice losing its clouded surface as the bourbon washed over it. A section of orange peel came last, the garnish of both drink and performance shaved carefully from an untouched orange.

"An Old Fashioned. One of a kind, collector's item. I chose granulated sugar over syrup for the better texture. Spicy and sweet. Matured 14 years—good things come to those who wait." Akali pushed the glass over the counter with her fingertips.

Evelynn picked up the glass with a hand adorned with three inch silver claws, holding the glass between the points. Akali hadn't seen her don them, but she also wasn't sure she hadn't been wearing them the entire time. After swirling the liquid with a slight shake of her hand, Evelynn closed her eyes and took a sip, silent after placing the glass on its coaster until she swallowed.

"You have good taste," she said after a long silence.

Akali tried to keep the satisfaction from showing on her face. "I'm glad it's your speed. I don't have many opportunities to try fancy drinks like this outside of work, so when it comes to making high-class drinks, figuring out what people like is a lot of guesswork. I'm not exactly a "top shelf" kinda girl."

"Before we continue, allow me to confirm something?" Evelynn asked.

"Sure?"

"Since you're familiar with Ahri and Kai'Sa, then you likely know about them?"

"About them being a couple?" Akali asked, confused. "They don't really hide it. . ."

"That's not quite what I was getting at."

"Oh, you mean the monster girl thing? Kai'Sa and I grew up together, so that's kinda old news to me."

"That makes this next part easier. Before we get too deep into this conversation, I think it's only fair to formally let you know that I'm not human."

"I gathered from the tentacle thingies." Akali raised her hands quickly, "Oh but don't worry, I'm not gonna freak out on you or anything. I hang around Kai'Sa and Ahri enough that I'm pretty used to it."

"Lashers," Evelynn corrected. "And you can see them?"

Akali nodded. "I didn't want to be rude, but yep. Growing up around that stuff, you know what to keep your eyes open for. Your eyes also kinda give you away."

"I see. Interesting."

"I guess that explains how you got in without opening the door?"

"I apologize if that startled you. You noticed me earlier than I expected." Evelynn waved a clawed hand through the air, watching how the overhead lights played across their chrome surfaces. "Ahri has pulled stunts like this before, so I wanted to see what I was getting into before I decided whether or not to sit down."

Akali wasn't sure if she should be flattered or if Evelynn's approval meant she had more expectation riding on her shoulders.

"Anyway, since you know about my nature, I'll tell you: I devour emotions and feelings as a form of sustenance. By extension, that means I have higher than average emotional perception abilities.

"What?"

"Mind reading."

"You can read minds?" Akali asked, her brain going into overdrive.  _ If she can read minds, did she hear all of my thoughts when I was trying to figure out what kind of drink she wanted? Did she hear me think she's gorgeous? I mean—not that "gorgeous" really does her justice, more like drop dead sexy—wait, is she listening to this? Ahhh damnit I'm spiraling! _

Instead, she cleared her throat. "Thanks for telling me."

Evelynn smiled, the grin of a predator. "Are you sure you're grateful? Your emotional spectrum took quite a journey after I told you. You know it's much easier to hide your thoughts if you aren't constantly thinking about how much you want me?"

"Shut up. That's not fair."

"Life isn't. But that's why I told you. If you found out sooner or later—and since you know Ahri then it'd be sooner—I'd have to taste your bitterness when you found out I told you a lie by omission. I'm  _ very _ specific about what I choose to devour."

_ I'd like you to devour me,  _ Akali barely stopped herself from retorting. Evelynn's smirk returned.  _ Fuck! _

"I appreciate it," she tried to say diplomatically. "Just out of curiosity, is there a way I can shield my thoughts when I'm around you?"

A flash of unease settled on Evelynn's face for the first time that evening. "I'm afraid not. My species developed the ability over tens of thousands of years so we could reproduce. As much as I'd like to at times, it's not something I can turn off."

"Gotcha. Yeah, I can imagine it'd be a pain in the ass to hear the thoughts of everyone around you all the time."

Evelynn shrugged, "It comes and it goes. Unless I'm touching someone, I only catch the clearest and most focused of thoughts; most of the time it's not an issue. But I understand if this makes it. . . troublesome for you to be around me."

"It doesn't," Akali said, perhaps too quickly. "I'm a grown up, I can be responsible for my own thoughts." Evelynn's eyebrows rose at her, genuine surprise there. "Is that weird to say?"

"No, it's just that not many are comfortable being around me once they find out."

Akali leaned on the counter. "I guess if you'll just do me a favor from here on out regarding that?"

Evelynn inclined her head, indicating her to continue.

"The words in my head are pretty jumbled, so please wait until I speak them to respond. I don't want my half-baked thoughts jumbling our communication."

"You want me to wait until you speak before I respond? That's just basic etiquette, darling."

Akali offered her another drink, which Evelynn turned down in favor of some water. Akali found it so easy to talk to Evelynn, and before long she'd told parts of the tale that had led her away from Seoul and into Busan, becoming a bartender on a whim thanks to Ahri's good graces and their mutual connection through Kai'Sa. She left out the bits about her strained relationship with her mother, and the parts about her on-hiatus rap career.

Evelynn had built an empire herself, starting out as a singer before adding fashion, fragrances, and now custom vehicles (of all things) to her list of pursuits. She embodied the aesthetic of high society and cosmopolitanism well, Akali found herself thinking, and then she told Evelynn as much.

When Akali made to turn off the neon open sign at the front, Evelynn stood and joined her.

"I've decided," she said.

"Uh, on what?" Akali said, then nearly facepalmed in reaction to her own lack of eloquence.  _ I can't believe I still call myself a rapper. _

"I want to see you again. When are you free next?"

Akali tried to keep her heart from thundering through her chest in excitement. "Are you an daytime or nighttime person?"

"Night, of course," Evelynn said.

Akali checked her schedule and found a free evening, then checked it against Evelynn's schedule. Evelynn said she was free immediately, either having memorized her schedule or being willing to rearrange it—Akali put her money on the former.

In lieu of asking if their meeting was a date, Akali settled for the next best thing. "So? Was Ahri right? Am I interesting?"

Evelynn turned to face her, a smile playing across her lips. "Ahri always is," she admitted with a sigh, "but if you repeat that to her I will make sure you live to regret it. Her gloating is insufferable." Her clawed index finger tapped against the hollow of Akali's throat with the threat.

Akali swallowed her nerves.  _ Let's push this a little further.  _ "Ahri also said you could kick my ass. Well, by extension at least."

"Did she now? And what do you think? Is she right?" Evelynn's expression was sweet; Akali recognized she was being given a final chance to reconsider how she wanted her future interactions with Evelynn to proceed.

"I'd like to see you try?"

Akali hoped her brave front wasn't as transparent as it felt. She got the distinct feeling that Evelynn could kick her ass, serve her up on a silver platter to herself, and she'd  _ like  _ it.

Evelynn's sharp grin returned, a flash of white teeth against the dark. "Then I'm sure our clash will be. . .  _ inspired."  _

Akali was about to unlock the door for her when Evelynn exploded into a cloud of purple smoke, pouring through the cracks in the door before rematerializing on the other side of the glass. She pulled a pair of red sunglasses from a pocket and put them on, grinning at Akali through the glass door. Then she breathed on it, the surface fogging, obscuring her from sight. A fingertip pressed against the glass, painting the outline of a heart.

From somewhere beyond the glass Akali heard the roar of a motor, and when she peered through the lines of the heart to look out at the night, Evelynn was already gone.


	2. Fast Cars, Pretty Girls

The day of Akali's date with Evelynn arrived, taking at once far too long to come, and at once coming far too quickly. Akali didn't feel ready, doubted she'd  _ ever _ feel ready—but that was part of the fun about being around Evelynn. The woman put her on her toes.

Evelynn had texted her some images out of the blue the day after their initial meeting, having spoken to Ahri to get her number. The conversation wasn't long, but Evelynn had sent over some test photos from a photoshoot from one of her new fragrance lines. "Diva" it was titled, and showcased Evelynn in a dark glossy half-open night robe while she drank tea, staring through the camera and right at her with her demonic golden eyes.

_ What is your opinion of these?  _ Evelynn asked.

Akali fumbled her phone upon opening the first image, earning a look from Kai'Sa, who was working on a dance routine in her small flat.

Akali tried to cover for herself. "Just. . . dropped my phone, heh." 

_ What if I'd been working? _ She sent to Evelynn.  _ But yeah, these are awesome!  _ She immediately scrolled through the eight pictures, saving each one to her phone so she could look at them in greater detail later.

_ Which one is your favorite? _

"How am I supposed to choose just one?" Akali breathed to herself.

Kai'Sa paused her routine again, midstep. "What?"

"Nothing! Just talking to myself."

". . . Okay?"

It took Akali just another minute of thinking to realize Evelynn was messing with her. 

_ You already know these are awesome. You really need my opinion, do you?  _

Evelynn texted back immediately.  _ Maybe I want your opinion anyway. But you got me~ I just like being mean. I know you like it too. _

_ Can you read my mind over the phone? _

_ I don't need to. _

There was a break in the conversation while Akali tried to find a suitable response, but Evelynn beat her to the punch.

_ Am I wrong? _

_ No and/or shut up. _

Evelynn sent over a devil smile emoji, and that was that.

Akali groaned and lay on the floor, a blush growing on her face as she looked at Evelynn's photos again. "Kai'Sa, I think I'm in trouble."

"Wait—don't tell me anything! Ahri is going to want to see your blushing face."

"You suck."

Akali's mood cooled considerably later that evening when her mother called. The initial flash of anger came from being pulled from writing the first lyrics she was actually happy with in months. It exploded when she read her mother's name on the screen. She declined the call, only for her phone to light up again immediately. She declined it again, and a third time after that. When the phone lit up a fourth time, Akali pulled a knife from her desk and prepared to stab it through the screen.

Akali stopped herself, the tip of the blade hovering scant centimeters from the screen. Her mother had left a voicemail rather than attempting to call a fourth time. She debated with herself about listening to it. Opening the phone would pull her out of her mood, the contents of the message would destroy her focus. Looking at her half-written lyrics forlornly, she realized the damage was already done.

She had the voicemail app open in seconds, all she needed to do was press play. Something stopped her. She knew where this was going, years of experience had winnowed down all the expectations she had of her mother to a singular point. Their conversations had long ago become recursive, folding back in on one another and becoming tempered, like the steel of an emotional knife.

Akali hit play. The message played out in its entirety, 1 minute and forty-five seconds of a resigned voice playing through the speakers, made to sound smaller because of the distance between Akali and her phone. She hadn't bothered putting the message on speaker.

It contained all of her mother's classics. A veneer of kindness acting as a pretty overlay disguising layers of guilt tripping. She never called Akali anything worse than "wild," but that word had taken on extra meaning over the years since Akali first moved out. Even years later, she was still trying to invent herself and be the person she wanted to be.

Akali wasn't a psychologist, but she knew some of the basics. Breaking free from years of conditioning was a bitch.

The worst part was how diminished she still felt after hearing the message. Logically, she knew her mother was unkind, cruel even, and that she'd made her own choices, lived with them, and come out the other side better off. Still, hearing her mother's voice brought back years of unpleasant memories and a vague sense of guilt.

Akali blocked her mother's number after sending a short text.  _ Don't speak to me again unless you're going to say sorry. _

Akali fell into bed still in her day outfit, sapped of too much strength to undress. Her rap lyrics were autosaved on the laptop; she could come back to them later. She was surprised when sleep came easily. In exchange, her nightmares were kind enough to feature her mother.

Talking with Kai'Sa always helped. The reminder that her friends were close made the anxiety over her mother feel farther away, even if she didn't always get a chance to vent. Since it was early they ended up video chatting rather than meeting—Akali was the most tired of the three, as Kai'Sa and Ahri were perpetual early-risers.

They came into view, surrounded by a mirrored wall. They were in the dance studio that Kai'Sa used, evidently working on choreography for a song. Kai'Sa summoned Ahri once the call connected, and they both lay on their stomachs to greet Akali, their smiles brighter than the young sunrise.

"So uhh, I got a date?"

Ahri's face filled the screen as she crowded the camera in curiosity, while Kai'Sa threw a fist into the air. "Kai'Sa mentioned that you met Evelynn, but she wouldn't give me any details!" Ahri pouted.

"To be fair, I didn't give Kai'Sa all the details either." Akali said. "I thought you'd be interested too."

Akali told them the gist of what had happened, which wasn't actually that much when distilled to spoken words.

"There has to be more!" Kai'Sa exclaimed, hungry.

Akali shrugged helplessly. "I wish there had been."

"Will you two be meeting again?" Ahri asked.

Ahri ran the bar as more of a pet project than expecting it to rake in profits. Likely she was losing money on it, but her singing career made up for those losses (and also paid Akali's rent). It struck Akali as a bucket list item rather than a bona fide financial pursuit, but Ahri took a strange amount of joy in decorating the space and doing the necessary paperwork. Ironically, the owner and her girlfriend were the bar's most regular and highest-paying customers. Thanks to the arguably terrible location, the bar never pulled in many other customers.

It was for this reason—Akali's friendship with Ahri aside—that Akali felt comfortable making strange requests that wouldn't fly at any other job. "I'm going to be meeting with Evelynn tomorrow evening, I was wondering if I could close the bar early?"

"Of course, just put up a sign outside and post the update on our socials."

"How do you feel?" Kai'Sa asked.

"Nervous, actually," Akali admitted. "How's that for a new feeling?"

"Akali was a ladykiller of sorts before she moved here to be with us," Kai'Sa explained in response to Ahri's questioning look.

Understanding flashed across Ahri's face, then became a laugh. "Oh, Evelynn is going to  _ love  _ you."

"She sent me some photos from a photoshoot she's doing, if that means anything?"

Ahri stared at her, her fox tail wagging. "Oh wow, she  _ really  _ liked you. I've been friends with her for a long time and I've never gotten exclusive photos from her photoshoots."

"She's not trying to seduce you though?" Kai'Sa said, more of a question that a statement.

"Well sure," Ahri conceded, "but while friend nudes are one thing, Eve is adamant about not showing anyone official photoshoots or material until they're out."

"Friend nudes?" Akali asked, eyebrow quirked.

"Platonic nudes to show off when you're feeling beautiful or sexy," Kai'Sa answered.

"Huh."

The next day, Evelynn arrived at the bar an hour before their agreed-upon time, lurking in a corner while Akali gave a shout for last call. Her other customers shuffled out, not even looking in the direction of Evelynn's corner. When Akali looked closer, she realized Evelynn had masked her presence in a thin cloud of purple smoke, which blended nicely with the wall behind her. She asked for a glass of water, reassuring Akali that she was happy to wait while she closed the bar. "Don't worry darling, I'm happy right where I am."

With so few customers, closing the bar took less than twenty minutes. Evelynn waited patiently for Akali to finish, taking small sips from her glass. Each time Akali glanced over to her to make sure she was still doing okay, their eyes met—Akali looked away in embarrassment the fourth time it happened.  _ Has she been staring at me this entire time?  _

"Are you coming with me tonight?" Evelynn asked as Akali closed the till and laced her fingers together to stretch. She'd moved from her corner table to the same barstool she'd sat on days before. Now that she was no longer shrouded, Akali could take her in without focusing on finding her presence in the smoke. Her outfit was simple, a loose-fitting black pinstriped suit jacket over shorts, matched with black leather boots that nearly reached her knees.

Evelynn seemed intent on giving Akali the chance to run. Whether that was because she was nervous about Akali's reaction to her being a demon(?), Akali wasn't sure. ". . . Where are we going?" she chanced, though she didn't expect a straight answer.

True to form, "Here and there," was all Evelynn said. Her purple sunglasses rested low on her nose, slitted golden eyes boring holes through Akali's soul. "But I promise to have you home before dawn."

"Give me five minutes?"

"Meet me out front when you're ready." With that Evelynn stood from her seat, the pointed tip of a lasher running up her body to push the sunglasses up.

A thrill of excitement ran through Akali's body as she watched the sway of Evelynn's hips before she disappeared through the door. She turned at the last second to deliver the coup de grâce, lowering her sunglasses again to flash a wink Akali's way.

_ I'm so fucked,  _ Akali thought to herself. "I'm  _ sooooooo  _ fucked," she repeated to the empty room, but her lips wouldn't relax from the smile that spread across her face.

She switched from her bartending suit to a sleeveless tank and baggy sweater, knowing that it was a definitive downgrade in style. As much as she hated uniforms, Ahri had excellent taste at least, so she didn't complain when issued the bartending suit. The mirror didn't reflect kindly on the sweater though. Akali wanted to sob.  _ There's a sexy lady outside and I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO WEAR!? _

The sweater went back into her backpack and so did the tank underneath, replaced by the bartending vest, half-buttoned over her neon sports bra. "Hell yeah," Akali flipped herself off in the mirror, tongue out.  _ That  _ felt right.

Four minutes and thirty-two seconds later she hesitated at the door, steeling herself as she pushed it open. She'd desperately tried to convince herself that she was prepared for whatever was going to happen, but the voice in her mind kept whispering opposition.  _ You're in over your head _ . Even if she had calmed herself, the sight of Evelynn posing on the hood of an iridescent dark purple Lamborghini with her chin resting in a hand adorned with three-inch golden claws, lips slightly parted, left Akali's knees weak.

Evelynn ran a clawed hand across the hood as her lashers extended sinuously to frame her as the centerpiece of the display, a queen on a seven million dollar throne. "The Lamborghini Aventador SuperVeloce LP750-4," she said, voice smoky and dark. "Customized to my personal specifications, zero to one hundred in less than six seconds."

Akali wanted to get on her knees right then and there, worshipping the queen and her throne alike, but she held herself back.  _ Don't be such a wild child,  _ a familiar voice chastised in her head, cowing her.

Evelynn stood by the raised scissor door to the passenger side, waiting expectantly. Akali shook her head to stop ogling and accepted a hand as she placed herself in the seat. Evelynn closed the door behind her, golden eyes piercing through the windshield for a split second, shaded glass pale in comparison to the intensity.

Akali raked the interior with her eyes in the five seconds it took Evelynn to walk in front of the hood to the driver side. The interior was dark purple and black like the outside, accented in chrome. An angular black skull cut from obsidian with ruby eyes hung from the rearview mirror, the singular adornment.

Evelynn pressed the ignition switch and the car hummed to life, the initial roar subsiding into a purr that hid ferocity. The car was eerily quiet for something Akali knew intuitively was one of the fastest civilian vehicles in the world. "Ready?" she asked, gently driving them towards the on ramp of the highway, aiming towards the twilight. 

Akali had expected Evelynn to floor it, so she answered with confidence meant to disguise her confusion. "You bet."

Then Evelynn stepped on the gas and Akali was forced back into her seat, rough hands of gravity pressing her into the leather. Her breath left her with the impact as they shot forward. If the highway hadn't been empty, Akali would've yelled in panic; as it were, the open road stretched before them, empty. When she expected the momentum to subside, it didn't, the speedometer ticking well past 160 kilometers per hour, and yet the car was still gaining speed.

If she'd had the mind to count, Akali would've found that only six seconds had elapsed before they leveled off, settling in at a comfortable 275 kilometers per hour.  _ If we could go in a straight line, it would take barely more than an hour to reach Seoul. Counting the time it'd take to get through security, it would be even faster than a plane.  _ The thought made her stomach lurch, and instead of any of those things all she got out was a breathy, "Holy shit."

"First time?" Evelynn asked, her voice carrying clearly over the engine, the interior of the Lamborghini well-insulated.

"How'd you guess?"

Evelynn laughed, low and dark. "The speed is working double right now. I like to drive fast, but I also need us at our destination in a timely fashion."

"You could've asked to leave earlier," Akali pointed out.

"Then I wouldn't have an excuse to drive fast," Evelynn countered. Akali snorted at the implication Evelynn needed an excuse to do anything.

They arrived at a side road not long after, Evelynn pulling the car off the highway and up a hill, pulling off the beaten roadway when they reached the top. Even from inside the car, Akali could understand why Evelynn wanted to get here fast. Just feet from the guardrail, Evelynn had parked them facing the sunset, overlooking a large plain of Busan in their immediate view. The city faded into green over distance on their right, while Busan Bay split into islands, Geoje island a point of dark in the ocean which reflected a reddening golden light. As the sun closed the distance to the horizon, the brighter stars began peeking out from the purple heavens.

"This is beautiful," Akali breathed, her mind pointing out small landmarks here and there, contextualizing the view with lived experience, filling in the landscape with emotional color.

"Sit with me." When she turned around, Evelynn was sitting in the center of the hood.

"Where should I. . ?" Akali trailed off, trying to raise an eyebrow nonchalantly as she pointedly avoided looking at Evelynn's lap.

Evelynn patted her lap.

_ Shit shit shit shit sh— _

"Well?"

"Uh, sure." She mentally slapped herself.  _ Fuckin' smooth, Kali. _

The sloping angle of the Lamborghini's hood meant she had to hold tension in her legs as she sat forward, trying not to press her body into Evelynn's front. As she lowered herself, Evelynn laced her clawed fingers in front of her and pulled her back, flush with her skin. Akali tried to keep her heart from beating out of her chest when Evelynn rested her chin on her bare shoulder, breath ghosting her ear.

As the sun dipped into the horizon, falling behind a set of distant hills, Akali reached backwards and ran her fingers through Evelynn's hair, working up the courage to turn and kiss her when the moment the sun was fully gone. Evelynn had brought her all this way, she'd be damned if she wasn't going to seal the deal.

Akali felt her phone vibrate, but she decided against checking it, flicking the interruption out of her mind. When it vibrated again she apologized before silencing it, but the damage was done. Her mother was calling, and Akali turned the phone all the way off before pocketing it with a huff.  _ What part of leave me alone do you not understand!?" _

She settled back against Evelynn and slammed her eyes shut, her mind throwing a roulette ball into motion.  _ Anger? Sadness? Dread? Wistfulness? _

Evelynn broke the silence. "I can tell there's something on your mind."

"You can?"

"I can taste your doubt in the air. I eat emotions, remember?"

"Oh yeah, I suppose you could. Sorry." Akali leaned backwards, allowing Evelynn to wrap her arms around her middle. "Sorry if I'm ruining our date. I hope you know how much I've been looking forward to today. I was going to kiss you when the sun went down."

"I know. I would've let you." Evelynn flicked a claw over her arm. "And don't be ridiculous. You've ruined nothing. People aren't always sugar and sweet. If I thought you were preventing yourself from feeling negative emotions, I wouldn't have spoken to you."

Akali let that thought sit for a moment, taking a deep breath. "Can I talk some. . . stuff through with you?"

"Anything."

She opened her mouth to start talking, but nothing came out. "My mother. . ." she tried again, but trailed off.  _ Where in the world do I start?  _ A shake of her head did little to clear it, metaphysical stacks of emotion just jumbling together more. "Will you do your mind read-y thing?" she asked, giving up. "Words are hard."

She felt Evelynn's nod against her shoulder, taking it for a signal to begin. Fragmented thoughts began condensing and crystalizing, grief and anger spiraling together as Akali ran through the sum of her emotions, focusing in particular on the image in her mind of her phone, lit up and displaying the caller ID of her mother before going black, unanswered. She was meant to be the perfect daughter; to break away from that expectation after an adolescent lifetime conforming to it broke fractured pieces of psyche further, new cracks forming down fault lines like separate pieces of ice desperate to break as soon as they were hit by the daylight. In the end, the dissonance of the expectation of who she was meant to be, the reality of who she was, and the hope that she could become it, pulling each in different directions left Akali with a singular question:

_ Why am I so bad at being me? _

She stilled in Evelynn's arms, their breathing slowly moving to synchronize. The stars became brighter and the sky between them darker, points of light standing out against a deep background of void. She felt Evelynn intake breath to speak.

"I may be able to give you an answer if you weren't asking a rhetorical question."

"Uh, go ahead?"

"You're not good at being you because you don't have enough practice, darling. You're somebody who gives a fuck about other people and what they think of you. Stop. You don't need approval from anyone."

"Not even from you?"

"You caring about my approval should be something you decide to do later, if you do at all."

It didn't leave her with much. If she had an anchor, something to tie her to her existence that she could build up from. . . "What would you like me to do?"

Akali felt a claw tap her nose as Evelynn clicked her tongue in disappointment. "What makes you think I'd tell you?"

Akali laughed, the motion causing Evelynn's arms to dig into her stomach. "Heh, good point. Seriously though, thanks for listening."

"Stop trying to be who you want to be, and just be her."

A familiar thought flashed through her head in a blaze of neon. A vision of herself, cultivated carefully over years of fantasizing.

_ She was riding an expensive motorbike through the rainy highways of South Korea, droplets spattering against a custom neon helmet painted with imagery of a tiger in blue, yellow, and orange. When the rain got particularly bad, she'd park her bike at an outpost, , and enjoy a hot cup of cocoa while leaning on the outdoor bar, looking out past the highway and into the horizon, the ocean and sky matching their colors to become indistinguishable. _

Akali stood up and chased the idea like the vapors of a pleasurable dream, leaning against the roadside railing. "Man, I really want a motorbike."

"Are you the type of girl who rides a motorcycle?" Evelynn asked, still comfortably perched on her car.

"I had been saving to buy one before I had the sudden need to leave Busan and start supporting myself," Akali admitted. "Long story short, the money went towards staying fed and paying rent."

Evelynn ran a clawed hand along her chin in thought. "I'll keep that in mind." Then she straightened, standing and holding a hand out to her. "Would you like me to take you home?"

Akali thought about staying, saying no, but she knew her mind would be elsewhere, and she wanted to be around Evelynn when she was at her best, when all of her attention could be focused on her. "That sounds good, yeah. I have some stuff to think about."

"I apologize if I overstepped." Evelynn stood, her lashers pushing her up before dematerializing.

"You didn't at all, thanks for listening to me ramble," Akali said. "I'm strangely inspired, actually. Can we play some of my songs in the car?"

When Evelynn asked what her playlist of choice was, Akali had a second to flounder before she answered. "You can probably tell from the mind reading, but It's my own music," she said bashfully, tapping a toe on the ground.

"Then I insist on hearing it," Evelynn responded, showing teeth. "Ahri mentioned you were quite talented."

Evelynn drove much slower on the way back so they had ample time to listen to Akali's old songs before stopping the car in front of Akali's apartment complex, the beat of one of her best tracks fading into the background. Evelynn tapped the stereo to silence the coming of the next song, leaving the two of them in heated silence.

"I had fun tonight," Akali said, mostly to break that silence. "I'm sorry it got weird for a minute, I didn't mean to make you my therapist."

Evelynn's hand appeared on her leg just above her knee, almost like an accident that neither of them noticed. Akali waited, anticipating,  _ wanting _ to grab that hand, claws and all, and slide it up her leg. She was never the flustered one in relationships, comfortable to take the lead and stay there. The reversal of roles around Evelynn made her feel like she was on her back foot, too fast to blush and fall backwards into gay panic.

"Soooooo am I supposed to give you a kiss?" Akali asked, false bravado crumbling the second Evelynn leveled it with a stare.  _ I'm bad at this (with you),  _ she thought as clearly as possible for Evelynn to pick up.  _ Take the lead? _

Evelynn didn't say anything, but lifted Akali's chin with a fingertip, exposing her neck. Akali closed her eyes as Evelynn leaned in, only to feel the burn of lips against her throat, right above her jugular. She drew in a sharp breath when Evelynn nipped her, running the point of her tongue across the tender bite mark. Then she pulled away right when Akali began to lean back, hoping she was about to be forced against the door.

"Tha—that's it?" Akali asked, already out of breath. "You're mean!"

"Of course I am," Evelynn said, purple glasses materializing over her eyes with a swirl of smoke. She leveled her golden eyes at Akali over the rims. "I'm me, after all. And while it won't be tonight, I'm looking forward to seeing who  _ you  _ are."

Akali's door opened and she stepped out backwards, keeping her eyes locked with Evelynn's the entire time. "When do I get to see you again?"

"Soon," Evelynn promised. Then the scissor door closed between them and Evelynn sped off, leaving Akali alone in the night.

A smile slowly spread across her face, until she was grinning like an idiot in the direction Evelynn had disappeared.


	3. (Second) Baddest Bitch in Town

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Double upload since 3 and 4 are shorter~

Kai'Sa and Ahri sat on the barstools across from Akali as they usually did, reserving the place for themselves as a date night. It wasn't as if there were patrons coming in anyway, and Akali appreciated acting as their bartender, since it prevented her from feeling like a third wheel. Ahri's overzealous tipping helped too, a habit she'd picked up from Kai'Sa without the understanding that came with it about how much was appropriate. Akali had to more than once deny a tip that was nearly on par with the day's salary. She shook her head when this happened, good-naturedly laughing at the whims of the rich.

On date nights Akali did them the added service of lighting candles around the room, as well as playing a specially-created playlist for the mood. Ahri and Kai'Sa always did such a wonderful job of keeping her as part of their group, but Akali appreciated having the ability to dote on them during their weekly dates, stepping into the background when she wasn't needed.

As such, she picked up her phone when it buzzed in her pocket, signalling to Kai'Sa that she'd be stepping out. " _ It's dad, _ " she mouthed, receiving a thumbs up.

She took the call on the way to the back room, under the harsh fluorescent lights that paved the hallway. "Hey dad, what's up?"

"Hello, daughter."

The voice on the other side was light, feminine, and clipped. Not her father, but belonging to the one person she least wanted to speak to in the moment—in any given moment.

Akali gripped the phone, its protective case preventing the screen from cracking under the pressure. "Why do you have dad's phone?" she growled.

Her mother's voice came through the speaker, weaving into the fabric of her mind memories of unpleasant events and bad-faith exchanges. "You don't answer my calls for so long and this is how you speak to me?"

"What happened to dad?" Akali asked, clenched teeth the only thing preventing her voice from rising into a yell.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking. I thought it was about time you and I had a real conversation. Don't you think, sweetie?" The final endearment dripped with sickly-sweet honey, a pastry half-fermented and then doused in sugar to disguise the rot.

"Is dad okay?"

"This is about us, not him."

"You will tell me where dad is or I'm going to call the police and report him as a missing person."

"Christ, Akali, your father's fine! He forgot his phone when he went out so I used it." An exasperated sigh rattled through. "I took it as a sign that we were meant to talk."

"Then you'll take this as a sign that you're wrong." Akali hung up, then raised her fist to dash the phone into the cement wall, stopping just before release. Reconsidering, she pocketed the phone and launched her fist into the wall instead, knuckles splitting, leaving four crimson dots.

_ Panic in a sec. Panic in a sec. _

With cold foresight born from years of experience, she subsequently blocked her father's number number, then tapped a quick email to him before the panic could fully set in. 

_ mom called using your phone. email me _

Kai'Sa came in, knocking quietly to announce her arrival. "I heard a crash, are you okay?" Then she saw Akali's knuckles. "Oh my god, 'Kali!"

"Accidentally answered a call from my mom." If she'd been paying attention, she'd have noticed the way Kai'Sa grew tense, muscles stiff and ready to leap forward with a hug, or backwards out of a potential warpath. "I need to get out of here, I need to get some fresh air," Akali gasped.

Kai'Sa nodded once, eyes focused, a protective centurion. "Call me if you need, be safe. I love you."

Running away was easier than she thought it would be. Akali threw on her running shoes and was out the door before Kai'Sa had a chance to say anything more. The bar's backdoor slammed behind her but she was already halfway down the alley, merging onto one of the larger roads and sprinting down the sidewalk. Her breath left her quickly, coming out in heavy puffs, cold night air nipping at her lungs.

She didn't have a destination in mind, just moving for the sake of keeping busy while her mind ran at a hundred miles per hour. Avoiding streets more crowded people in favor of the quiet, her trek led her into residential neighborhoods, where the streets were empty. She dashed under streetlights, their circles of illumination crossing over her face and then leaving as she left the radius of brightness.

Akali ran out of steam when the houses began to run up against hillsides too steep to be built upon, slowing to a fast walk while her vision began fading in and out, lungs warning her not to continue without a break. Looking behind, she'd put a fair distance between herself and the city proper, but it wasn't enough. The stifling arms of civilization still reached out, wrapping around her and threatening to pull her back in, back under. The empty bench at the next bus stop became a temporary resting place, and the bus driver gave her a look when she boarded, but didn't say anything, the paragon of professionality. 

The bus took her farther away from Busan, along a straight highway that looked vaguely familiar; Akali was unable to place the feeling until she realized why the sight of it was actively calming her down. It took her a minute to recognize her surroundings because they were passing by so slowly, at least in comparison to how quickly Evelynn's car had sped through the scenery, blurring everything into a green streak.

The bus driver startled when she approached the front, not used to travellers flaunting the many posted "please don't move while the bus is in motion" signs. "Let me off here," Akali said, pointing up ahead at the turnoff that Evelynn had taken during their first date.

"That's not one of our stops," he tried, but Akali flashed him two ten-thousand Won bills and pointed again, placing the money on the tray. Perhaps because she was one of the only riders, the driver sighed and pulled over at the turnout so Akali could jump out.

The bus ride had given her muscles time to recover, and Akali had a second wind while climbing the hill, breaking into a run halfway up and arriving at the top once again panting for air, unable to take in the view stretching out before her because she was leaning on her knees. This time she felt actively sick, spitting out a sticky glob of spit that hit the ground with an audible splat while also sticking to her lip, and then to her hand when she tried to rub it away.

_ Gross,  _ she thought, smiling grimly. The pain was distracting her from the worst of the panic. The railing on which she'd leaned earlier beckoned and she took her spot at it again, a soldier returning to post to provide overwatch. Looking over Busan from the distance made her feel small in comparison, but paradoxically very large, as if she could fit the city in its entirety into the space between her palms and then gently place them together, ending this chapter of life like closing a book, removing a city and its history from existence with a mere gesture.

She dropped her hands when the thought came to her. Busan wasn't the issue, and as much as it would be simpler to abstract, Seoul wasn't her problem either. It was one singular person inside.

Akali felt a flash of rage overcome her, and she screamed into the sky until her voice was raw. 

" **WHAT WILL IT TAKE FOR YOU TO LEAVE ME ALONE!?** "

She knew the sky wouldn't answer as a proxy for her mother, but she spat at it anyway.

The sound of a familiar car parking behind her made her turn around. The scissor doors of Evelynn's Lamborghini opened, paving the way for her to step out. "Eve? What're you doing here?"

Evelynn flashed her a smile, corners of her mouth barely raised. "This is my spot, remember? I thought I might find you here." She joined Akali at the railing, leaning on it to survey Busan in the distance. "Kai'Sa was worried about you since you never came back to the apartment complex. I figured you might have come here, so I offered to check."

"Oh shoot." Akali checked her phone.  _ 12 unread messages.  _ She'd lost track of time.

"I already let her know you're safe," Evelynn said as Akali began typing.

"Thanks for that." Akali hung her head. "Sorry to make everyone worry."

Instead of responding, Evelynn eyed her legs and shoes, taking in the amount of dirt, making assessments. "Did you run all the way here?"

Akali took in her own outfit now, running shoes, shorts, and a tank top. "No way, that would've been like, a full marathon."

"Are you not capable of that?" There was genuine surprise written on Evelynn's face now.

The question left Akali chuckling, but she also puffed up in pride. "Not in three hours at least. I took a bus most of the way. But now that you mention it, I am kinda cold." She rubbed her arms. Leaving in a rush was no excuse if she froze to death.  _ Stupid. _

"Hold on." Evelynn left and returned a moment later, draping a warm coat over Akali's shoulders. The fur tickled her neck, but it was also warm from being in the car. She cuddled into it, acutely aware that Evelynn still had an arm wrapped around her shoulder, her golden clawed hand resting limply across her collarbone.

"I can taste your unhappiness in the air, darling," she led. "Vent if you'd like."

"You don't mind?"

"I give the impression of enjoying my own voice, but yours is important to me."

Akali told her everything, holding nothing back. It was a story that Kai'Sa knew well, but it felt so  _ good  _ to vent to another person about it that Akali had a hard time stopping, and soon the words were flowing out her mouth faster than her highest tempo rap songs.

"My mother says I was supposed to be a boy. According to our family's tradition, only males can inherit the dojo. Things were pretty smooth sailing while Master Shen was the head of the family, but once he passed the title along to my dad, things started getting bad." Akali found herself becoming more animated and angry as she spoke, but instead of holding it back, she let the emotion expand outward, her breath filling the empty air.

"At first, I was a miracle baby. My parents were apparently happy when they finally managed to have a kid. But they got me, a girl, so they kept trying. When it became clear that my father couldn't have any more children, our family came together and decided to make an exception to the age-old rule, which would allow me to eventually inherit the dojo."

"Lucky you," Evelynn commented dryly.

"Yeah. Lucky me. Though that should've made things better, it actually just caused more arguments. Master Shen and dad thought it was a good opportunity to review some of the traditions that were written into the dojo's code, get rid of or edit some of the more outdated and misogynistic stuff. Surprisingly, my mom thought using me as an excuse to break tradition was a bad idea.

"Even if Master Shen and dad did their best never to blame me, I was tired of all the arguments." Akali held up a hand to keep Evelynn from interrupting, though she wouldn't have had to. "To be clear, I don't blame myself for being born, and I know none of it is my fault. But my existence started the arguments, and my mom was happy to let me know."

"Hence the street rapping and graffiti art?" Evelynn asked. Akali had to remind herself that she'd told Evelynn about her best graffiti work, and she'd started following her private graffiti instagram page.

"Pretty much. I started investing my time in other hobbies that would take me away from home and then I discovered how much I enjoyed rapping. Long story short, I eventually decided the dojo was holding me back, so I left. Simple as that. I don't think I would've chosen any differently if I were a boy. Dad and Master Shen didn't blame me, and they seemed happy to figure out what to do with the dojo in the meantime. I'm still in contact with them, actually. But yeah, my mom somehow thought it'd be a good idea to use my dad's phone to call me, and things spiralled from there."

Akali finished her rant in a breath, her body heated with the combination of Evelynn's jacket and her temper. "That's the long and short of it I guess. I wish I could think logically about all of this, but whenever I try to come up with a solution I just get pissed off and anxious." She shrugged.

"I can make those feelings of fear and anxiety go away if you'd like," Evelynn offered casually, as if the offer was as natural as brewing tea for a guest.

"You can?" She hated how small her voice sounded, how much she wanted to fold herself into Evelynn's jacket and arms, disappearing into a void of smoke and shadow. "Can you talk me through the process?"

"Imagine a vampire biting you and gently drinking your blood until you're too weak to fight back. There's a feeling of overwhelming peace that follows if you allow yourself to surrender to the process." Evelynn placed two claw tips against Akali's throat. "It'd be like that, except I'd be drinking the top layer of your psyche, your soul. And I don't need to bite you to do it."

"That's a shame."

"I know you're covering up your nervousness by flirting with me, so I'll reiterate: I'm only going to do this if you ask me to. The feeling of having your soul devoured isn't always pleasant at first. Once the fear and adrenaline passes you'll be left with unendingly calm, emotions perfectly balanced. The bad will be far away."

"That sounds like an unhealthy coping mechanism," Akali said, though the prospect of it being so wasn't actually enough to turn her off on the idea.

"It won't deaden you, if that's what you're worried about. I'd just be pulling away the anxiety so you can think clearly. Processing emotions in a healthy was isn't something I'd stop you from doing; this just skips the panic attack."

"Am I panicking?" Akali asked, her breathlessness answering her question before Evelynn needed to. "I want you to try." Akali turned to her, their faces scant inches apart. Evelynn's golden eyes glowed in the night, portals to a darker realm beyond the veil. "What do you need me to do?"

"Just relax as best you can, and stop me if it's too much. You're safe with me."

Akali believed with all she had, so when Evelynn stepped to the side and leaned forward, Akali allowed herself to lean back, placing her weight on the railing. Evelynn's golden clawed hand snaked up into Akali's hair to support her head and neck, tilting her so that she looked into the starry sky.

Evelynn hovered her head over Akali's heart, resting on her chest, eyes closed. Akali's vision blurred suddenly and her balance left, before the stars jumped back into perfect clarity. Then her entire body felt like it was separating from itself, metaphysical feeling splitting from her muscle and bone, connections gently relaxing as her soul began flowing up her limbs and concentrating, trickling upwards like a reversed incense waterfall through Evelynn's parted lips.

When her vision began to tunnel she pushed herself up, breathing hard. "Wait! Hold on, hold on—" she pulled from Evelynn's embrace and stumbled forward and would've hit the ground if Evelynn's lashers hadn't caught her, keeping her standing. She leaned on their warm liquid surface, trying to keep from hyperventilating. "Sorry, I'm sorry. I just—need a second."

The lashers pulled back to let her stand once she'd regained some control of her breathing, staying close as if they wanted to return and hold her. They hesitated, twisting in place but keeping their distance, as did Evelynn.

"Akali darling, are you all right?"

"Yeah," Akali breathed, "I'm okay. Sorry, I freaked out for a second there."

Evelynn's voice was quiet. "It's a scary feeling if you're not used to it. You don't need to apologize."

Akali looked at her, seeing the worry in Evelynn's eyes. Was there truly fear there? The expression was painfully out of place in those demonic eyes. It was the first time she'd seen the woman so uncertain, as if she half expected Akali to call her a monster and run away for her life. So instead, Akali closed the distance between them and leaned her head on Evelynn's chest, gripping her arms. "I trust you, really I do. I think my body just reacted to the loss of control badly."

"I'm sorry Aka—"

"It's not your fault!" Akali cut her off, raising up to look her in the eyes. "It's not. When I was young and my mom pissed me off, I'd workout, or go running, or even dance. My body was all I had when my mind wasn't cooperating." She placed a hand on Evelynn's cheek, wanting nothing more than for her to take control again, like always, like she needed. She took that emotion and tried to compress it, breathing it across the air so that Evelynn breathed it in,  _ understood. _

"Can we try again?"

Evelynn nodded. She steered them to the car, massaging Akali's shoulders. "Relax fully for me darling, I can tell you're still tense." She leaned on the hood of the car, gesturing to her lap. Akali sat there, the slope of the hood making her tense her legs to keep from sliding off Evelynn's legs.

"Relax," she repeated. "Let your muscles go limp, you're not going to crush me. I'm more than strong enough to support you." As she spoke her lashers curled around them, bracing Akali's feet, supporting her back and knees. Akali let herself sink into them, leaning back against Evelynn, using conscious effort to slacken her muscles.

Evelynn's voice was like soft velvet in her ear, reassuring her. "Remember, the fear is a natural response. Everything in your body is programmed to reject the experience. If it's too much, just say the word and I promise I'll stop. But if you allow the fear to exist, to take hold of you and then flow away, you'll gain much more."

Akali reached up to cradle Evelynn's head in one hand, the other resting across her stomach. "Go ahead."

Evelynn took a deep breath in right next to her ear, and she felt her soul turn into purple smoke, lazily coiling through her body in swirls. As if by command, it at once began to bloom, streaming up and through her, leaving her body with her breath as Evelynn breathed in everything she was. She arched her back with the feeling, the return breath less comforting than the one before.

When her vision began tunneling again, she closed her eyes. Akali was ready for the fear and adrenaline; she forced herself to take deep breaths, focusing all her willpower away from her soul and instead on breathing and unclenching her muscles, relaxing into the warm lashers, both curling around her like the familiar warm arms of a lover, caressing her.

Then the fear was gone, exhaled in her breath, flowing in the form of smoke into Evelynn, taken along with the anxiety and pulled away. They stayed like that for what felt like hours, but Akali counted the seconds and only came up with four minutes and twelve before Evelynn broke the silence.

"How do you feel?"

"I feel. . . very chill. I'm sorry I freaked out on you before." Her mind felt sharp, yet also tired and blurry around the edges. The heightened emotions when she thought of her mother were still there, but muted, the sharpness and intensity gone, stripped away leaving pure logic, a birds-eye view. "I feel so much better. Oh god!" She sat up suddenly, "I'm crushing you!"

Evelynn grabbed both her shoulders at the same time as the lashers tightened around her body, and she was pulled fiercely backwards into her embrace, this time wrapped up. Akali didn't even try to fight, instead relaxing against Evelynn's frame. "Huh."

"What is it?"

"Usually when we're this close my heart starts beating fast." Akali shook her head. "And why did I just tell you that? Don't tell me that you eating my soul acts like some kind of truth serum."

"To be fair, I already knew that," Evelynn pointed out. "Even if the taste of your emotions didn't give you away, I can sense your heartbeat and the warmth of your body, usually before I even see you. But no, there's no truth serum. Your soul is a very vibrant one. You're honest."

They stayed like that for some time, pressed together under the stars. "I hope that wasn't a bad meal," Akali eventually said.

A pat on her stomach reassured her. "Negative emotions aren't bad, just a different flavor palette. Darker colors. You were delicious."

"Can I uh. . . return the favor somehow?"

"You just offered yourself to me on a silver platter. Do you really think you're the one that owes me in this situation?"

Akali wanted to comment, but her words were eaten by a yawn. "I thought you said everything would feel clearer after this."

"You must be tired from running here and having a panic attack," Evelynn pointed out. "Shall I bring you home?"

"Is that okay?"

"I just ate part of your soul. The least I can do is drive you home. Come, darling."

Evelynn drove without the usual ferocity, instead easing the Lamborghini through turns and accelerating with care. The playlist reflected the calm mood, soft beats blurring the lines between ocean waves and ticking clocks. Akali was asleep within minutes, fingers laced with Evelynn's, their hands resting together on the console.


	4. Birthdays Are for Donuts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 2 of the double upload~

Evelynn was on her way out after spending the evening at the bar, making Akali's job exceedingly difficult by staring at her from a shadowed corner, golden eyes piercing the distance. They activated Akali's flight-or-flight response each time she met them; additionally, Evelynn was never looking anywhere but at her—at least when Akali noticed her. Ahri and Kai'Sa were no help of course, 

The fact that the other few patrons in the bar couldn't perceive Evelynn likely had to do with the fact that she was little more than a cloud of hazy smoke without clear definition, shifting in time with the shadows of the occasional car passing by. Akali could only see her because of years of practice, piercing the veil that separated the natural from the supernatural.

By the time she closed the bar she was quite flustered and jumpy, Evelynn's sudden appearance at the bar when she turned around didn't help at all.

"You know, next time you can just sit up here with me instead of being a nuisance from the corner," Akali said, intent on paying her back by being a brat.

"If I reveal myself to the general public in close proximity they tend to unconsciously group around me, unable to resist my glamour."

"Might bring in more patrons," Akali grumbled.

"They'd be too busy hanging off of me to buy drinks, and the effect would only be exacerbated if they were inebriated. Trust me, I'm doing you a favor." She grinned when Akali rolled her eyes.

Evelynn had parked her car outside, taking up two parking spaces with her Lamborghini. Not that the empty lot was hurting for space, but Akali still snorted inwardly at the woman's antics. She pulled a kunai from her jacket and began idly spinning it around her index finger.

"Am I coming with you tonight?" she asked, running a finger across the car's familiar purple hood with her off-hand. It squeaked as the pad ran over its length, even brief contact leaving a minuscule oily smudge on the metal.

"I've got some paperwork tonight darling, you'll just have to wait." Evelynn's smile faded when Akali drew another squeak from the hood of the car. "Akali."

"Yeah?"

"If you put a scratch on my car I'm going to kill you," Evelynn said sweetly, her smile not matching her tone.

"Is that a promise or a threat?"

"It's both."

A ripple of heat went through Akali's body. She enjoyed playing this game, placing her head in the jaws of the lion and escaping unscathed. Or not. Akali liked to think the kunai still spinning around her finger made up for the inch of height Evelynn had on her. They stared at each other, neither backing down. 

Akali stopped the spinning kunai, catching it in her palm, point down. "Well now I wanna scratch your car."

Evelyn sighed theatrically, lowering her glasses to peer at her. "How long are you going to hide behind subtext before you cave and beg me to take you to bed?"

_ Shit. _

Evelynn got into her car while Akali tried to form a comeback. She snapped her jaw shut when Evelynn rolled down the window.

"You're adorable when you overplay your hand, darling." Then she sped off, leaving a line of skid marks in her wake. The clattering of metal brought Akali back to the present, only now realizing she'd lost her grip on the kunai.

Hearing a low whistle, Akali turned to see Kai'Sa and Ahri watching her.

"Shut up."

"But we didn't say anything!" Kai'Sa complained, but she and Ahri devolved into laughter, unable to hold their composure.

"Shut up!"

Ahri placed a thoughtful hand on her chin then, staring off in the direction Evelynn had disappeared. "She looked ready to eat you whole. I've never seen her that enamoured with someone before."

Akali snorted, pocketing the kunai. "You call that 'enamoured?'"

"Undoubtedly. Eve likes to play, but I know the difference between casual and serious. She's got it bad for you."

"Huh."

The way Ahri was suddenly staring at her,  _ analyzing _ , made her fidget. "Were you two headed somewhere or. . ?"

"Oh yeah, we're heading out for dinner!" Kai'Sa grabbed Ahri's arm excitedly, her taller frame making the action look somewhat silly if not adorable.

"Would you like to come?" Ahri asked. She checked her phone, raising both eyebrows in surprise, only for an instant, so quick Akali barely caught it. "Say Akali, when is your birthday?"

Akali grinned and threw up twin devil horns signs. "It's four-twenty baby. Not makin' that up. But don't you have that with my employment paperwork?"

"I just realized it's not in my personal calendar, and I like to celebrate my friends' birthdays." Ahri smiled sweetly, a sincere smile that revealed nothing. "So, did you want to come with us for a late dinner?"

"I'd love to! But. . . won't I be interrupting your date?"

Kai'Sa reassured her that she wouldn't be an imposition, "As long as you don't insist on us taking you home—"

"Ew."

"—then there's no problem!" 

As they piled into Kai'Sa's car, Akali spied Ahri shooting a quick text to somebody.

The amazing dinner afterwards made Akali wonder if she was just imagining things.

"Have you and Eve kissed yet?" Ahri asked at one point with all the tact and excitement of a gossiping schoolgirl.

Akali raised an eyebrow in surprise, then shrugged. "I guess we haven't."

"You haven't even kissed yet?" Kai'Sa's mouth was hanging open. "But she was talking about taking you to bed!"

"Eve is all about building anticipation," Ahri said. "When something happens, I'm sure it'll happen all at once."

"Ooh kinky!"

"I'm right here you know," Akali sighed good-naturedly, hoping to get their attention. "At least  _ try  _ to keep it in your pants?"

~ ~ ~

Evelynn eating part of her soul had given her time to think about how to handle her mother. Though she'd been clear on the phone when last they'd spoken, Akali knew the woman well enough to know that telling her off was just a stopgap measure; she'd be back, with more carefully chosen painful words, and Akali would have to be ready to defend against them. 

The knife-edge clarity in her mind had faded back to the normal amount of clarity over the course of a few days—which for Akali was a constant drumbeat and rap lyrics in various languages spiraling into one another—but she'd written a draft of the things she wanted to say to her mother the day after, and now worked from that to create the letter that she'd send. 

As for the letter itself, it'd been Kai'Sa's idea. Akali didn't normally consider herself a letter writer, but when Kai'Sa pointed out that she didn't owe her mother a face-to-face conversation, Akali took the idea to heart. "If you write a letter, she'll have to read the whole thing without interrupting, and you won't get flustered while trying to get your ideas across," Kai'Sa had said.

She began drafting it together with Kai'Sa there to offer support, sitting cross-legged in Akali's only chair while she sat on the floor, spinning a pencil around her thumb. "I have no idea where to start," she admitted after staring at the blank page for too long.

"Well, how do you feel about the whole thing?" Kai'Sa asked. "Maybe the emotion is a good place to start from?"

"I'm fuckin' pissed."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah! I thought something had happened to dad and then all I got was her stupid face!"

Kai'Sa added fuel to the fire, jumping up. "She invaded your privacy!"

". . . So how do I write all that?"

"The same way you rap, girl!" Kai'Sa practically shouted. "Raw emotion on the page, clean it up later!"

Akali laughed, stuck her tongue through her teeth, and embellished the blank page with a John Handock-esque " _ FUCK YOU." _

"That's the spirit!" Kai'Sa said, peering over her shoulder. "Think you can handle the rest of this on your own?"

"Oh yeah, I'm all fired up now. I got this!"

She didn't put much time into making the letter fluffy, preferring to fill it with the basics rather than letting the message become laden with purple prose. That said, she did pour her heart into it, refusing to pull any punches. It was a culmination of the years of treatment she'd been on the receiving end of, an inventory of her grievances condensed into a single piece of text, hotter than any lyrics she'd spat before and harsher than the street raps she'd dropped them in. What started as motivational anger slowly faded out to sadness and resignation, back to anger, then a quiet peace of mind as she finished up, each word motivating the next as they flowed from Akali's pencil, filling a single sheet with carbon grey Hangul.

It ended with an ultimatum that would set the foundation for their future relationship, if it were to exist:

_ I'm not going to speak to you for three years. Once that time comes, if you're ready to apologize, I'll listen. If you aren't then I won't. Farewell for now. _

After securing a promise from her father that he'd secured his phone and emails with passwords only known to him, Akali sent the letter to her parent's home address in Seoul. Now all she had to do was wait.

_ Well, not exactly,  _ Akali reminded herself.  _ There's nothing to anticipate. Either she'll apologize to me in a few years, or she won't. That's that.  _ It was simple, clean. So much so that AKali half wondered if she'd left anything out, but Kai'Sa had read the letter over for her multiple times as it evolved, and given her stamp of approval. A few days and some words on the page were all it took, apparently. If only she'd done this years ago.

She texted Kai'Sa once she'd sent it, earning a phone call, and then fifteen minutes later she'd come over and they both drank wine while crying in her apartment. They were tears of loss, but also joy and closure.

After thinking it over, Akali sent a message to Evelynn as well.

" _ I'm proud of you,"  _ she sent back. _ "Telling people off is never easy, but it sounds like you did it well _ ."

There was a five minute break in which Akali didn't know what to say, but another message pinged, another follow up from Evelynn.

_ "Are you ready to become yourself now?" _

~ ~ ~

Akali's birthday was marked by the rare occasion of having Ahri, Kai'Sa, and Evelynn all sitting across from her in Ahri's bar. Of course Ahri had closed it down so it was just them and had even attempted to take over Akali's bartending duties—something Akali quickly put a stop to. "Making drinks for all of us isn't really work," she'd explained.

"But it's your birthday," Ahri began, but was silenced.

"And you let us use the bar for it. So deal." Akali slid a martini over to her, effectively ending the argument. 

Once they were all three drinks in (not Akali, Evelynn had stopped her with a look after the first), Ahri clapped her hands together. "Okay! I'd like to give you my gift first, if nobody else objects?" Seeing no dissent, Ahri procured a rectangular box from under the bar and placed it next to the drinks. It was about the size to fit a dress or a jacket, which Akali confirmed by shredding the wrapping paper, removing the ribbons, and then opening the lid. Inside was a black leather jacket with a side zipper, heavily padded on the shoulders and around the wrists for extra protections. Underneath, Akali found a pair of matching leather gloves.

"Well, try them on!" Ahri urged. The smooth leather fit over her perfectly—Akali felt like she was donning armor. The dark leather reflected the neon lights of the bar in prismatic lines that webbed across the folds in the material.

"This is fucking awesome, thank you!" She spent a solid minute feeling herself up, running her hands, bare and then gloved, over the jacket. "Wow, thanks Ahri! This is the coolest I've felt in a long time."

"Mine next!" Kai'Sa said after receiving a nod from Evelynn, surprisingly. Then Akali's vision was taken up by a cubic box.

"What is it?" Akali asked, checking the box's surprising weight. Kai'Sa rolled her eyes, urging her to open it.

Akali pulled the motorcycle helmet from the box, admiring its modular design, the black coloring, and of course, Kai'Sa had painted a neon tiger on the sides, streaks of yellow, orange, and blue neon rendering the beast as if it were dashing forward. Akali put it on, comfortably snug on her head, then flipped the visor and chin bar down. "I feel like Iron Man. I'm glad the visor is here, so you losers can't see me tearing up."

Then the symbolism of the gifts struck her, and she felt stupid that it'd taken her this long to figure it out. She flipped the visor back up, not caring if her light mascara was running. "Hold on guys, you didn't get me. . ." Her voice became very small. "You didn't."

Kai'Sa and Ahri looked at Evelynn expectantly, who in turn looked at Akali.

"Your present is outside," she said. Ahri and Kai'Sa jumped up in excitement.

"Nothing too big?"

"Of course not," Evelynn reassured her. Then she smiled, exposing sharp teeth. "But then again, big means very different things to you and me."

"Oh god, what did you do."

"Go outside and see, darling."

Evelynn, Kai'Sa, and Ahri followed her out like wraiths, silent behind her. Ahri and Kai'Sa stopped when Akali saw what was in front of her but Evelynn did not, pressing into her back and wrapping her arms around her middle, claws clicking against each other.

"Like what you see?" she whispered into Akali's ear.

Stood in front of the bar was a motorcycle in dark black, highlighted with red, silver, and accents of gold. A bike built for speed, power, a bike unmistakable built for  _ her.  _ The Ducati name stood out against the black in stark white lettering, and each wheel glowed with blue neon lighting, definitely illegal.

"Oh my god," Akali choked out, stumbling forward to run a hand over the seat. "You got me a—"

"A custom commissioned Ducati Panigale V4 R with a racing kit?" Evelynn said. "We did."

"It was Eve's idea," Ahri said, she and Kai'Sa framing Evelynn like a grouping of sirens.

"We all pitched in to do this for you, because we love you!" Kai'Sa added.

Akali sprinted forward and launched herself into Evelynn's waiting arms, her lashers dampening the collision as Akali smashed their mouths together in a forceful kiss. Evelynn returned it, coiling her hands under Akali's ass, lashers curling around them and pressing them closer together.

"So, do you like it?" Evelynn asked, breaking away.

"I love it!" Akali began kissing her again, moaning when Evelynn's tongue flitted across her lips.

They broke apart with a breathy gasp, Evelynn unwrapping Akali's legs from her middle. "Well? What're you still doing here? Go test it out!"

Akali was more than happy to obey the command. "Thank you so, so much. All of you." She jumped onto the bike, marvelling at how it fit the curves of her body, the power within thrumming through her even before she turned the key and the machine roared to life. She turned back to the three most important women in her life, a hand ready to slam the visor down into place. "What about you three?"

"Ahri and I are heading home for the night," Kai'Sa said, nudging her other half with her hip. Ahri laced their fingers together, a blush spreading over her cheeks.

"And you and I have a date this evening," Evelynn finished. "I'll text you the details of where to meet when it's time."

Akali gave her a bright smile and flipped the visor down, revving the engine experimentally. It responded with an eager zealousness, waiting for her command to take off. She pushed the acceleration to the limit, back tire screeching on the pavement before angling the bike so it pulled into a donut which widened after the first rotation, Akali guiding the bike in an orbit around the trio, winking at Evelynn through the helmet.

Evelynn smirked, and then Akali exited the donut and rocketed away, pulling a wheelie and letting out a whoop of joy before leaning down and letting the Ducati fly.


	5. Horny-Dangerpunk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's all smut from here on out!  
> Thank you again to everyone who leaves kudos and comments! I'm not good about replying, but know that I read every single one and they make my days better.  
> One more chapter to go~

Akali rode until her body got used to the thrum of the bike between her legs, weaving between cars on the highways before returning to the city center and slowing to a more manageable—but still comparatively blistering—pace to enjoy the city views. Her phone buzzed in her jacket pocket as she was crossing a bridge, so she took a side street down to the waterway to check it.

Evelynn had sent a message instructing Akali to meet her at a fancy high-rise for dinner. Akali realized she'd lost track of time in the euphoria of her bike; the sun was approaching the horizon already. Mapping the location, Akali realized she was running late. If she obeyed the laws of the road, she'd never make it in time.

She patted the body of the Ducati affectionately, ready to take on the challenge. "Let's see what you can do, eh?"

The high-rise was near the beach, a curved knife of a building that jutted into the sky as it tapered. Akali parked her bike at the front, dismounting as a valet approached. She half wondered if she was in the right place, until the valet spoke.

"Miss Akali?" Akali nodded numbly, still in awe of the building she was about to enter. "Miss Evelynn is expecting you on the top floor."

Akali handed off her motorbike and walked up the steps, acutely aware with every step that this place was miles out of her league, her punk clothing clashing with the velvet carpets and marble columns. She was ushered into an elevator by another sharply-dressed staff member, who pressed the appropriate elevator button before Akali had the chance to get confused by the display.

The elevator opened into a low-lit restaurant, which became open to the air at the end as the high-rise tapered, letting in an ocean breeze while providing a massive window directly to the stars. The seating was sparse and very private, each booth hidden behind a gorgeous display of plants and stained wood. A murmur of voices confirmed the existence of other diners, but they were invisible.

Her eyes alighted on Evelynn who stood straight ahead, neatly framed by potted plants against the night sky. She leaned backwards on the railing, waiting. Akali crossed the floor to approach her.

"Judging by your smile, you've been enjoying your gift," Evelynn purred, stepping behind a nearby wooden screen. Akali followed, finding a private dining table for two. She sat when Evelynn pulled her chair out for her.

"I've tested out bikes before, but this is the most amazing thing I've ever ridden," Akali admitted.

Evelynn's eyebrow jumped. "We'll see about that."

Akali colored; she imagined her face was the same hue as the dark red bottle Evelynn casually uncorked with a lasher. She poured the crimson wine into their glasses, lasher disappearing behind her right as the waitstaff turned the corner.

A single candle was lit to the side, and menus were smoothly placed before each of them, choices outlined in bold calligraphy, even the paper higher-quality than restaurant standard. "I don't see any prices on these," Akali said, scanning her options. WIthout being able to see the prices, she was at risk of breaking one of her cardinal rules: if she was being treated to a meal she would divide the price range into three tiers, then choose something that straddled the line between the lowest and middling prices. That way her meal cost the least amount possible without drawing attention to the fact that she was trying to prevent large sums of money being spent on her.

"If you have to ask the price, then you don't belong here," Evelynn said, cleanly putting a hole in that plan. If the motorbike had been any indication, Akali should've guessed her normal schemes wouldn't work around her. "Choose anything you like, I guarantee it will impress."

Evelynn ordered a filet mignon with carefully braised vegetables, arranged around her plate in a minimalistic fashion. It suited her, small portion sizes all dressed to impress, each one likely just as rich in taste as their visuals suggested.

Akali had eventually settled on the item labelled "Gold Leaf Ramen", hoping that it would be familiar.  _ How different can ramen be, even in a rich joint like this? _

The answer: quite a lot. To begin, her order appeared on its own platter, served alongside spinach ohitashi and eggplant dengaku, and—though the dish was decidedly Japanese—sterling silver chopsticks. The ramen itself was decadently arranged to highlight the split egg, pork belly, shaved truffle, and narutomaki. When Akali looked closer she found the reason why the dish sparkled in such a blinding manner. What she had mistaken for flakes of spices were actually iridescent flakes of gold.

She opened her mouth to ask Evelynn if the gold was actual,  _ real gold,  _ then decided against it. Of course it was real gold. Even so, Evelynn gave her a knowing grin. "I like buying expensive things."

Akali searched the table, trying to suss out the most expensive item, her eyes alighting on her glass of wine. She picked it up by the stem and swirled the dark red liquid in the glass, "How much was this bottle?" She took a gulp, trying to taste the flavor, but her palate very clearly lacked the refined sensitivities necessary to enjoy it fully.

Evelynn raised an eyebrow, a corner of her mouth upturned. "Four thousand U.S. dollars."

Akali began choking, a small dribble leaving her lips before she managed to swallow the rest. "Holy shit," she croaked, dabbing at her mouth with a pure white silk napkin.

"And you just wasted one hundred dollars of it," Evelynn sighed, resting her chin in her hands."

Akali scratched her head, embarrassed that of all people,  _ Evelynn  _ had just watched her choke on wine and dribble it down her chin like a child. No doubt she could taste Akali's embarrassment in the air, as clear in the well-filtered restaurant air as the red wine on the napkin. "Haha yeah, I'll. . . make it up to you?" she offered.

Evelynn examined her claws in feigned amusement, polished silver reflecting the gold of the candle. "How could you possibly?"

"You'll. . . just have to wait and see." Akali ducked her head at the cop-out, earning a chuckle from Evelynn.

"Your ramen is going to get cold, darling."

Akali found herself at a uniquely distressing intersection of culture. Custom generally dictated that it was okay to slurp ramen, but she wasn't sure if those same rules applied in a restaurant this fancy. Or perhaps, because of the fanciness of the restaurant, those rules applied tenfold? 

_ Evelynn isn't interested in you because you're Gucci,  _ she reminded herself, allowing some slurps at a lower decibel than she'd normally let loose.  _ Though I AM pretty fuckin' Gucci. _

Evelynn speared a piece of filet mignon on her fork, waving it in front of Akali's nose. "Want to try a bite?"

Akali reached for the fork only for Evelynn to pull it away. "You're not seriously going to feed me in a place this fancy, are you?" She surveyed the restaurant, her glance showing all the staff busy with their own work, the few other patrons absorbed in their own conversations. But still, it was the principle of the thing. She set her jaw. "I'm not gonna do that."

"Then you'll go hungry."

Akali pouted. "But I wanna try."

Evelynn held up the fork again, her smile showing teeth when Akali lowered her hand and opened her mouth. Evelynn reached across the table and took Akali's chin in her offhand, fingertips brushing her skin. "We don't want to drip on your clothes."

"Don't pretend you give a damn about my clo—" Akali started, but Evelynn cut her off by shoving the fork into her mouth.  _ I hate you and your stupid sexy face,  _ Akali thought as loudly as she could, hoping Evelynn could taste the emotion.

~ ~ ~

After dinner they raced to Evelynn's penthouse building, Akali's Ducati keeping pace with Evelynn's Lamborghini by weaving through traffic to make up for stretches of roadway that Evelynn could outspeed her on. They flashed grins at each other whenever they were side-by-side, revving their engines like giddy children who'd just discovered adrenaline.

She let Evelynn lead them into a private garage where they passed rows of expensive cars, each of which were clearly emblazoned with Evelynn's marks of ownership—claw decals here, neon purple lettering there. Once they'd parked she nearly tackled the woman into the elevator, pinning her to the wall with her mouth, pressing their bodies together.

Evelynn pushed back fiercely, pinning her to the elevator doors in return and biting her neck while her claws trailed over Akali's exposed stomach, dipping tantalizingly low until the elevator stopped and the doors opened, Akali caught from falling backwards by the grace of Evelynn's lashers.

Low red mood lights flickered on as they stepped into the penthouse, Evelynn giving her space to breathe and take in the interior.

"God damn," Akali breathed, crossing immediately to the windows. They were tall floor-to-ceiling panels, looking out over the ocean. Various small islands in the Bay of Busan sparkled in the post sundown embers of twilight.

"A beautiful view."

"No kidding." Akali spun to take in the rest of the penthouse. It was minimalistically designed, white furniture contrasting nicely with a multicolored tapestry of wooden flooring. Evelynn's personal touch could be seen in the marble statues placed along the walls, each made in the style of the Greeks and Romans, human bodies brought to life from marble, naked and unashamed of their own humanity.

Akali turned back to the window. "It all seems so far away now."

"What do you mean?" Evelynn's voice was accompanied by the sound of pouring. Akali met her at the kitchen island, accepting a glass of wine.

"The whole thing with my mom. I mean—well, now that it's over for now, I feel like I can finally relax." She chuckled nervously, "Sorry to keep bringing her up when we're alone, I'll stop."

"You're much more than what she thinks you are," Evelynn said, circling the counter and placing herself behind Akali, draping clawed hands over her shoulders. "I knew everything you were hiding the moment I saw you, and I liked everything I saw. You have a tiger inside you. Show me your claws, Akali." Her whisper made the hairs on Akali's neck stand up, and she leaned backwards as Evelynn's hand traced up her stomach, between her breasts, finally settling on her throat.

"You saw that from day one?" Akali gulped.

"I'm good at reading people."

Akali swallowed her wine in a single mouthful, a stray bead of liquid running down her chin. "What do you make of me?"

Evelynn cupped her chin, pulling it to the side and licked the droplet up. "The good girl persona you wear isn't convincing to me. You need to reconnect with your wild side. You're lonely, touch-starved, and horny. Luckily for you, I can help with all of that."

Akali let herself fall backwards into Evelynn's arms and they were lowered to the floor, where her wrists were pinned by the soft leather of the lashers, Evelynn straddling her.

"I'm going to make you work for it," Evelynn said.

"I know."

"I'm going to make you beg."

Akali grinned at her fiercely. "I won't."

Evelynn regarded her with a look that suggested she was a hurricane and Akali was a building she was about to obliterate. "You will," she said simply, and then their lips crashed together, each of them vying for the right angle to swipe their tongues across lips and bite, hard.

Akali ran her hand up Evelynn's bare leg, intending to travel up her pencil skirt until Evelynn caught her.

"So eager, but I'll make you patient yet." Evelynn's voice suggested less disappointment and more a sadistic sort of amusement. "Let's make sure those fingers of yours don't get into trouble." Lashers caught Akali by the elbows and pulled her arms above her head. The bindings were soft, but Akali spent herself trying to break free. Evelynn watched from above, pupils dilating while she struggled.

Evelynn held her down while slowly stripping her, sharp nails surprisingly nimble and quick—though she allowed the pointed tips to nick Akali's skin whenever Akali looked away or tried to close her eyes.  _ Watch me,  _ Evelynn's golden eyes seemed to say, designating Akali as her sole, and very captive, audience.

She began with Akali's shirt, observing the plainness of the fabric before tearing it through with her claws, pulling the ruined item away from her body. The warm penthouse air brushed her bare skin and then Evelynn unzipped her pants, somehow removing them far more gracefully than Akali had ever done herself.

Evelynn showed more kindness to her sports bra by pulling it over her head, lashers twisting to allow the garment to come free. Akali half-wondered if she should've worn fancier underwear for the occasion, but realized it didn't matter, since Evelynn had pulled those off as well.

"Like what you see?" Akali asked, trying to hide the embarrassment and arousal in her voice. Evelynn above her still fully clothed was doing things to her, and the worst part about it was that Evelynn could tell, if her hungry grin was any indication.

Evelynn raked over her naked body, not in a hurry now that Akali was laid bare underneath her. Then she began running her fingertips up from Akali's ankles, over her calf, then swiping to explore the inside of her thighs, following the artery there up and up. Akali could feel her pulse increasing as Evelynn lowered her head to breathe her in, an animal scenting blood through skin.

"How could I not?" she answered. And then, "Tell me what you want," she said, running her tongue along Akali's inner thigh, so close to where she wanted it.

She gasped anyway, Evelynn's tongue coaxing the words from her as she arched her back. "Fuck me, please?"

She jolted when Evelynn placed her hand over her slit, palm rubbing against her clit for a single, blissful moment before stopping. Akali attempted to take over, thrusting her hips forward to meet resistance, but Evelynn pushed her back to the floor with a hand on her hip.

"Naughty girl. You can't even be patient for me, can you?"

Akali was shaking her head, still fighting against Evelynn's palm to gain friction, "Don't want to."

The lashers around her arms snaked over her body, and Akali felt herself being lifted up and away from Evelynn's palm. She bit her tongue to hide the whimper—she didn't want to give Evelynn the satisfaction—but yelped when she was pressed against the massive window, it's surface ice cold on her back and butt.

"God you're so mean."

"Oh? Don't like the cold?" Evelynn's grin suggested Akali had made quite the error. She approached with her hands outstretched but then missed her, palms brushing her skin before pressing against the window on either side. Trussed up by Evelynn's lashers and unable to move, Akali began struggling when she realized what was about to happen.

"You wouldn't!"

Evelynn's smile became cruel—had it always been?—and she moved in close to kiss her, tongue snaking across Akali's lips and leaving behind the flavor of expensive wine. Akali arched forward when she pulled away, desperate for contact, receiving more than she bargained for.

Evelynn's hands were like wet ice, one clamping over her breast and gripping the nipple, the other cupping her cunt.

"Oh fuck that's cold!" Akali shouted. Her muscles had clenched with the cold so she spasmed when Evelynn slid a finger inside her, the extra friction making her eyes roll back in her head. She should've guessed the minute of Evelynn fingering her wouldn't come without strings attached.

Evelynn's whisper cut through the pleasure, her breath tickling Akali's neck. "Will you work for it?" she asked, and then stopped moving her hand.

Forced against the window with her hands bound behind her and, Akali found it exceedingly difficult to rut against Evelynn's hand. The lashers held her high enough that only the tips of her toes grazed the floor, with concentration she could just barely move her hips, sliding back and forth on Evelynn's leg. Evelynn let her for a minute, laying into her neck with bites and kisses, trailing licks down the front of her chest.

If she hadn't been so horny she couldn't breathe straight, she might've been embarrassed by how easily she slid back and forth across Evelynn's hand, each successive motion bringing her closer and closer to where she desperately wanted to be.

"Ah--fuck, I'm so close," Akali gasped through gritted teeth, her voice turning into a whine as Evelynn pulled her knee away, leaving her empty.

"Ah ah, I'm not finished with you yet," she said, stepping backwards. Akali, pinned dripping wet and naked to the fogged window, flushed under her gaze as Evelynn admired her like a piece of art.

"You are beautiful." A command came a second later, a slap after the praise. "Kneel."

Akali dropped to the floor, too hazy with lust to be embarrassed at how quickly she followed the order. Evelynn's lasher shifted so that Akali was still bound, while the free lasher snaked its way up Evelynn's skirt, pulling down black lace underwear.

"Come closer."

Akali shuffled forward on her knees.

"You've been such a good girl, Akali. I'll only ask you to do one more thing, and then I'll fuck you silly. Can you do that for me?"

Akali nodded vigorously and Evelynn spread her legs slightly so her pencil skirt rode halfway up her thighs.

"I—I don't think your skirt is high enough," Akali said. Evelynn ran a claw along her jawline, stopping at her chin to lift her face.

"I trust you can work something out."

Not needing to be told twice, Akali pulled Evelynn's skirt the rest of the way up with her teeth. Evelynn was beautiful, bare skin slick with wetness, and Akali felt a flash of pride as Evelynn pulled her head between her legs.  _ I did this! She wants me! _

She parted Evelynn with her tongue, still dripping from the gag. Evelynn shuddered above her as Akali closed her eyes and swiped circles around her clit, gently at first and then with an increasingly eager roughness as Evelynn responded more and more. A clawed fist tightened in her hair, Evelynn's breath increasing.

Akali felt the lasher around her arms loosen, and she stopped, questioning. The gasp in Evelynn's voice, usually so controlled, ignited the blood in her veins.

"You may touch yourself while you fuck me."

When she felt the wetness between her legs, she idly wondered if Evelynn's expensive wooden flooring would be damaged after tonight.

Evelynn came before she did, drawing in a sharp intake of breath, the ghost of a moan leaving her lips as she rocked on Akali's face, lashers curling around and around Akali's body as Evleynn came, the soft lengths pulsing in time with her pleasure. The hand in her hair relaxed, and Akali broke away with a satisfied gasp, drinking in the expression of adoration Evelynn fixed her with.

Evelynn pulled her up with her lashers and kissed her on the mouth, licking herself from Akali's lips. "You, my dear, are exquisite. Now, would you prefer to be standing or on the floor?"

"Floor, I think," Akali said, anticipation bringing her hand to her cunt as if on reflex. Evelynn gently brushed it away with a lasher, each curling up Akali's torso and twisting around one another, creating an intricate latticework of silk knots and ties until she was adorned head to toe in living shibari. They were loose enough to allow her blood to flow but wrapped tightly around her skin, making her breath race.

"What a wonderful gift you are," Evelynn whispered, lowering them to the floor. "I'm going to eat you up."

Akali's eyes fluttered shut as Evelynn trailed her fingers down her throat, across both collarbones, tracing the shape of her breasts and down her stomach before dipping lower and teasing her clit with just enough pressure to be felt.

"Ready?"

"Please," Akali hissed.

The rest of the world faded into a blur of breaths and tensing muscles as Evelynn fucked her, gently at first, then rougher and faster as she gauged Akali's responses. Somewhere in the haze Akali was pleased to notice that Evelynn was breathing hard too, as if getting her off had the same effect on both of them.

Evelynn leaned back and began circling her clit with the pad of her other thumb, the sudden contact making Akali jerk in place, latticework lashers cutting into her skin as she strained against them with a gasp.

She chanced to open her eyes, watching Evelynn above her with an uncharacteristic blush spreading across her face as she watched Akali move in time with her fingers. Her thighs were slick with her own wetness, both her own and what Akali had contributed. The sight was enough to leave her undone; in only a few more moments Akali was crying out.

Akali spasmed underneath her, coming messily on her fingers with a cry. "Oh god, don't stop,  _ don't stop!" _

Evelynn didn't stop until Akali had ridden out the wave of her orgasm. When she didn't fully stop, Akali cracked open her eyes only to find an expression of mischief in Evelynn's eyes. 

Evelynn kept going, drawing circles on her oversensitive clit and thrusting roughly with her fingers, bringing Akali back to the edge again in seconds before dropping her weightless into the abyss.

Evelynn drew another orgasm from her, fucking her until she was spasming on the floor, too lost in pleasure to cry out a second time, or even the third.

~ ~ ~

Akali had been prepared for Evelynn to kick her out once all was said and done, but she'd been very pleasantly surprised. Evelynn had become almost sickly sweet to her after fucking her senseless, carrying her into the shower and complimenting her, praising her, and lovingly fingering her until she came again, this time without drawing out the process in blissful torture.

By the time she'd been towelled off, tucked in bed, handed a cup of tea, and then joined for cuddles with Evelynn on her shoulder, Akali was pretty sure she was in love.

"So, how would you say your birthday was?"

The question was asked casually—if casual was even achievable after their night. Akali felt a tinge of fear in it though, hidden behind layer upon layer of carefully constructed control, both artificial and actual. Evelynn wanted,  _ needed  _ to know that Akali had enjoyed herself. As silly as it was, she needed to hear that Akali was happy, that she'd done well in taking care of her.

So, Akali pulled Eve closer on her shoulder so her breath flowed over her chest, still textured and lined with red from Eve's claws. The hand that wasn't wrapped around her intertwined with Evelynn's fingers on her stomach.

"This has been the best day of my life."

She let her fierce gratitude shine like an ebullient star, envisioning the emotion flaring from her and into Evelynn. It was almost imperceptible, limited to just her fingertips, but Evelynn relaxed.

"Nothing but the best for you darling."

~ ~ ~

Akali woke up as a beam of sunlight crossed her eyes, lancing through the curtains with baleful intensity. She tried in vain to bat it away, and then relented as the room gradually brightened with the sun. Her whole body was sore, but the same kind of soreness that accompanied the morning after a hard workout. She smiled conspiratorially at the rope marks that still adorned her wrists, her new favorite type of bracelet. Evelynn wasn't in bed with her, but she heard sounds coming from the kitchen.

She padded out onto the heated tiling of the suite, wearing Evelynn's black silk nightgown open over her sports bra and shorts. Evelynn stood at the kitchen island, sautéing eggs with spinach and sun-dried tomatoes. 

"Good morning darling," Evelynn purred, taking her in. "How do you feel?"

"Like I just had the wildest and best birthday of my life," Akali said, taking a seat on a barstool. "I didn't know you cooked?"

"I generally don't bother, unless it's for special occasions," Evelynn said with a wave of her hand. "But I am capable, if that's what you're asking."

"Is there anything you can't do?"

"Not particularly." Evelynn materialized a set of claws on her hand and examined them in the sunlight. "If there's something I want I can usually get it."

To her credit, Evelynn made a mean breakfast. Akali began wolfing it down as soon as the plate was placed in front of her, Evelynn joining some minutes later with her own. Small talk felt easier after they'd thoroughly bedded each other—Evelynn hung onto every word she spoke and Akali felt less self-conscious talking about her musical passions and how much she loved her new bike. Over time, the conversation drifted to Evelynn's supernatural abilities.

"Wait, can you possess people?"

"I can," Evelynn stated.

Fear jumped in Akali's veins, then immediately became replaced with curiosity. "You should do it to me."

"Why?" Evelynn asked with a sigh, as if indulging her was a pain. Akali saw the sparkle in her eye and pressed further.

"I wanna know what it feels like."

Evelynn now regarded her like a particularly interesting toy. "You want me to use my demonic powers to take over your body because you're curious as to how it feels?"

"Yeah! It'll be fun, c'mon!"

"Most people would be scared."

"I trust you," Akali said, staring at her, a courageous warrior staring down death.

Evelynn stared back, and upon realizing Akali wasn't going to back down, relented. "Fine, but I'm not going to tell you how it works. You get to experience it raw, since you want it so badly."

"I can handle you," Akali boasted.

Evelynn disappeared into a cloud of smoke the next instant, swirling across the space between them and hovering at Akali's mouth. "Last chance to back out, darling," her voice hummed from the purple mass of smoke. "Breathe me in, if you think you can take me."

Akali grinned at the challenge, lowering her head to swallow Evelynn whole, greedily inhaling the smoke. It felt like water vapor going down, but it was warm, thick. She felt it spread through her body, and then her muscles began to move of their own accord as Evelynn overlaid herself on them. Evelynn made her lick her lips, Akali a prisoner in her own body. 

Her mouth, at least, still fell under her control. "This is a strange feeling," she said as Evelynn walked her about the room, bringing her to stand in front of the penthouse's floor-to-ceiling windows.

Evelynn's hushed whisper echoed through Akali's head as she wondered if she'd finally bitten off more than she could chew. " _ Reap what you've sown, darling. Submit to me." _

Then Akali felt her fingernails scratching down her arms, leaving small red lines in their wake. The feeling was more vivid somehow, since she wasn't the one in control and had only to observe and feel what Evelynn wanted her to.

The dainty touches played across her bare stomach, tracing lines of muscle, before they split, one hand travelling up, the other down. Her left hand reached her sports bra and slid under it, tweaking her nipple until it stood stiff against the fabric. Her right paused at her waistband, fingertips toying the edge of fabric.

" _ I'm counting on you to tell me if you're not comfortable with this." _

"Are you kidding?" Akali paused to exhale as her nipple was pinched roughly. "This is amazing.  _ You're  _ amazing."

Akali's right hand slipped under her waistband, Evelynn widening her stance and then teasing her fingers around the sides of Akali's slit. They hovered there, and then her middle finger swiped up and into her folds, coming out wet. Akali felt a bolt of lightning stiffen her body as Evelynn ghosted over her clit before pulling Akali's hand out so she could examine it.

" _ Oh my, you really do get off on placing yourself in danger, don't you?" _

"Shut up." Akali wanted to hide her face in embarrassment as she felt the blush cross it, but standing in front of a clear mirror also meant she was staring at herself. Curiously though, her eyes had taken on aspects of Evelynn's. They were still brown, but now slitted, unfamiliar, otherworldly.

" _ I don't think I will,"  _ Evelynn said, moving Akali to pull her bra over her head, exposing her breasts to the air. " _ Tell me, did you ever think you'd finger yourself in front of all of Busan?"  _ Evelynn asked, rubbing Akali's slit through her shorts. Akali breathed in deeply, Evelynn giving her just enough control to rock her hips against her own hand, enough to cause friction but not enough to get anywhere. " _ Answer me, Akali." _

"N-no," Akali managed to get out. She pouted when Evelynn stopped moving her hand.

" _ You're going to follow my directions, and you will address me as 'Sir' when I speak to you. Are we clear?" _

"What if I don't?"

" _ Then I won't let you come."  _ Evelynn pressed Akali's fingers to her clit as she said that, pulling them away before Akali could rut against them. " _ Am I understood?" _

"Yes." Akali said, wishing only for Evelynn to put her hand back.

Evelynn moved her forward instead, pressing her breasts suddenly against the freezing glass window. Akali gasped as her nipples hardened instantly, arousal thrumming between her legs. " _ Yes —?" _

"Yes sir!"

_ "Good girl,"  _ Evelynn hummed inside her head.

Akali soon became grateful of the window fogging over with her heavy breathing as Evelynn made her finger herself. She felt her legs weakening as she came closer, Evelynn taking full control to keep her upright.

Of course, Evelynn was sadistic enough to raise one of Akali's arms to clear a small patch of fog from the glass right as she came, trembling against the glass while Evelynn made her stare into the golden slitted eyes in the mirror, Evelynn hovering in the subspace between the gloss and reality.

Evelynn spread from Akali's mouth in a fume of smoke, curling behind her and materializing to support her as she regained control of her breathing. Akali leaned back into her without needing to be pulled. "So? How do you like being possessed by a demon?"

"Ten out of ten," Akali said between gasps, "would do again."


	6. Racing Through Your Heart / I'll Gladly Bleed for You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for joining me on this journey! I had so much fun creating this work, even if it just began as a proof of concept testing myself on writing romance/porn. Here's the final chapter as a present to close the year on a good note.  
> Please mind the tags; this chapter is where the claws come out.

Night had fallen over Busan like a liquid curtain, drenching the surroundings in comfy dark, the lights of late-night skyscrapers blinking like stars. Akali watched them reflect on the ocean while Evelynn came from the kitchen. She placed a cup of steaming tea down in front of Akali, nursing her own cup in clawed hands. Tea was quickly becoming something they did often, a habit they shared with one another. 

"Baihao Yinzhen," Evelynn said, taking a sip from her own cup. One of the most expensive Chinese teas, on account of the very specific requirements that must be met before the bud is picked."

Akali smelled the liquid dubiously, screwing up her face.  _ Maybe it's less bitter than it smells.  _ It was not, but she tried to swallow it anyway, not wanting to insult Evelynn. Then she realized that Evelynn was watching her with the slightest hint of a smile, and Akali knew she was being fucked with. She put the tea down.

"How do you drink this stuff like this? It's so bitter," she complained. "Do you have any sugar?"

"Usually it's rude to request to change something that was tailor-made for you," Evelynn challenged, taking a sip of her own. "Besides, bitterness is inevitable in life. You should learn to savor it." Nevertheless, she pushed over a small jar.

"Sweetness is also a flavor of life," Akali countered, ignoring the spoon in the jar in favor of lifting the vessel and tapping the desired amount of sugar out. She set it back down on the marble countertop with an audible  _ clack.  _ "And it's not my fault you steeped it too hard. Silver Needle white shouldn't be steeped with boiling water."

Evelynn stared at her with an open mouth, the expression strange and new on her face. "You knew?"

"I grew up here, which is close to China," Akali pointed out with a teasing grin. "And what, were you too busy staring at me that you forgot to check the temperature of the water?"

"You're on thin ice, Akali darling," Evelynn hummed. "Unlike most, my bite is worse than my bark."

The comment happened to be a perfect excuse for Akali to bring up what had been bothering her. "You were holding back last night."

Evelynn shifted, crossing one leg over the other. "Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I'm not pulling out the ropes and knives on our first night together, not before we have a long talk about what our needs are."

"Lets have that talk then, so you don't have to hold back next time. I want you to enjoy it too."

Evelynn shifted her legs, one over the other, not making eye contact. Though the expression was foreign on her face, she looked almost nervous, at a loss for words. Akali wanted to prod, to needle her, make her lose composure like this more often. "What makes you think I didn't enjoy myself?" she eventually got out.

Akali sipped her tea, nodding in appreciation of the sweetness the sugar brought. "I know you had fun. You wouldn't have let me fall asleep if you hadn't gotten what you wanted."

"You make me sound so cold."

"You wish!" Akali chuckled. "Like damn, the persona is hot as hell, but I can see through it. You're nothing if not hot-blooded." She set her tea down, cracked her knuckles, and then straddled Evelynn, pinning her wrists hard into the soft leather of the couch. Evelynn's lashers came up and hovered nearby as if unsure of what kind of threat Akali posed. Akali had the pleasure of watching Evelynn's eyes widen as she lowered her head to her ear, whispering. "You don't have what it takes to break me," she taunted, finishing by biting her ear, hard. Akali leaned back and poked a thumb into her chest. "I'm the best. I may just be human, but I'm not quite as fragile as most. I can handle you."

"I'm scared you can't," Evelynn whispered.

Akali grabbed her chin, forcing Evelynn to look at her. "I demand you let me make that decision for myself."

Evelynn's worry sustained, and then dissipated like dewdrops at the first sign of heat. Rage glowed in her eyes, offset by the grin she allowed to show, closer to animalistic than kind. "My dear Akali, is that a challenge?" she growled.

"Do you have what it takes to challenge me?" Akali growled, their faces inches apart.

Evelynn's lashers shot into action, one wrapping around both of Akali's wrists threefold in a split second, binding her tightly and pulling her from the couch, arms pulled above her head so she could watch Evelynn stand, her heels making Akali look up at her, which exposed her neck.

Then Evelynn's second lasher forced Akali onto her knees, and Evelynn stood over her. She had a brief moment to take in the ravenous glow of Evelynn's eyes before the soft ribbon of a lasher curled across her eyes, blindfolding her. She felt Evelynn lean down next to her, whispering.

"I'm going to bend you over my knee and snap you like a twig. Eat you alive, choke you, make you cry out my name in the darkness."

Akali wet her lips. "Promise?"

Evelynn ran a finger up her throat and lifted her chin, their faces scant centimeters apart. "I promise. But not right now."

Akali had opened her mouth in anticipation of sucking on Evelynn's fingers, and now snapped it shut when she realized it wasn't going to happen. ". . . You suck."

"That's not what your thoughts say," Evelynn singsonged, releasing her from her bindings and helping her up. "That can happen later. For now though, I know just what you need. Come with me."

Akali put down her unfinished tea and followed Evelynn out, a question unasked on her lips. They didn't speak as they rode the elevator from Evelynn's penthouse down to her private garage. Akali finally asked her question when they got to Evelynn's car.

"So where are we going?"

"You tell me," Evelynn said, tossing Akali the keys. 

She stared at the metal like it was something alien. "You're letting me drive your car?"

A nod.

". . . Are you coming with me?"

"Am I?" Evelynn's face was a challenge, but there was something deeper there too, something she was only letting Akali see, something  _ only  _ Akali would see. She was relinquishing control, just this once.

Akali felt a grin spread across her face. She spun the keys around her index finger like a kunai, palming them with a swipe of her hand. "Get in."

The scissor doors slid upward silently at her touch, and she held out a hand for Evelynn to take as she took her seat. Akali joined her a moment later, closing them off from the outside world with an audible click as the doors locked.

Evelynn pressed a switch on the console and the garage door slid open, highlighted with rows of lights like an airport runway. "Nervous?"

"Actually yeah," Akali admitted, running a hand over her ponytail. "This is the most powerful vehicle I've ever driven." If Evelynn's sudden hand on her upper thigh was meant to be comforting, it really wasn't doing its job of making her pulse go down.

"Don't worry darling, if I think it's warranted, I'll take over. My reflexes are unparalleled."

Akali inhaled and blew out a long, unsteady breath as she flipped up the ignition cover and pressed the switch. The roar of the engine startled her as she settled her hands on the wheel. It was the same feeling that she got when she first got on the Ducati Evelynn had bought for her birthday. This was  _ danger.  _ This was  _ power.  _ She was born for this.

Evelynn's personal playlist kicked in, beats thrumming though Akali's body as heavy EDM overlaid with Korean rap blasted through the speakers, bass boosted nearly enough to rattle her teeth.  _ A new addition,  _ Akali realized,  _ Eve added songs that I like!  _ Her heart jumped up to her throat with the realization that she had fallen completely and totally in love.

Evelynn leaned over and rested her arms across Akali's shoulder, breath tickling her ear. Her voice wormed its way into Akali's mind, something between a whisper and a moan.

" _ I want you to go wild for me. _ "

Akali floored the gas, the car leaping forward like a tiger. They hit sixty before they even left the garage, the slight incline of the exit ramp leaving them hovering for a brief moment as they exploded into the night sky, weightlessness taking over her body before they slammed into the ground, gravity's momentum transformed into forward thrust with more efficiency and power than a jet engine. The car's aerodynamic body forced it into the ground more and more with each uptick in speed, in turn increasing traction and grip, a perfect mechanical feedback loop with the singular purpose of velocity in mind.

Akali bared her teeth in an instinctual feral grin as they hit one hundred, and throughout it all Evelynn never looked away from her, adoration, possessiveness, and lust coloring her golden eyes. She was the sun, a comet streaking through Busan's countryside, a neon chrome tiger travelling fast enough to leave afterimages in her wake.

~ ~ ~

After a lengthy conversation about boundaries—to Akali's surprise, Evelynn was good about talking about her needs and interests—Akali had left the penthouse to stop by her apartment and pick up some items. Texts from Evelynn came in sporadically, instructions vague enough to leave her with a sense of anticipation.

The first text: _ Wear clothing you're comfortable with getting ruined. _

That was easy. Akali opened her closet doors, chuckling at the realization that almost all her casual clothing fit the bill. Even so, the outfit she eventually chose rode the line between being replaceable and looking pretty. She even sent a text back, asking if the clothing would be ruined with wax or by being torn off, but Evelynn didn't see fit to answer her.

Instead, the second text read:  _ I've wired you a little money. I want you to buy a wand vibrator and a gag. Either ball or bar is acceptable. _

Akali laughed upon seeing the amount. In true Evelynn fashion, the amount she'd sent was enough to pay for the required items two, or even three times over. Finding a shop that sold the requisite items was easy, but it took three tires before Akali found one she liked. She bought a ball gag made of silicone, with leather straps leading back to a cute padlock shaped like a heart. She splurged on the wand vibrator, spending nearly double the regular price for a luxury model.  _ It's what Eve would want. _

The third text:  _ Are you comfortable with everything we've discussed so far? _

_ I am,  _ Akali sent back.

_ Then I want you to buy some candles. Red wax only. _

_ Do you need me to buy a knife as well?  _ Akali was relieved when Evelynn declined the offer, since she had no idea what one looked for in a knife meant for knifeplay.

_ I'll use my own for that,  _ Evelynn replied. _ I'm familiar with them, and I don't trust others to maintain the same standards of knife maintenance that I find necessary. _

Nervous excitement made Akali pause at the door, gathering her breath before opening it and entering the penthouse. "Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't already own all of this stuff," she said, placing the paper bag containing her haul on the table. Her nerves were jumpy—Evelynn had told her to touch herself at intermittent points throughout the day, ordering her to stop before she could come. Now that it was evening, Akali was half-tempted to jump her right there, but Evelynn would never allow that.

Evelynn began appraising the items, nodding in satisfaction at their quality. "Oh I do, but there's something intimate and arousing about choosing the implements that someone's going to fuck you with later. Am I wrong?" She held up the ball gag to emphasize her point, smirking.

Akali colored, immediately flashing back to getting hot and bothered in the sex shops, thinking of all the terrible things Evelynn was going to do to her tonight. "No, and/or shut up."

"Then why don't we get started?" Evelynn said.

Akali worried at her lip, "So soon?" She was almost embarrassed at how calming Evelynn's clawed fingers on her shoulder were.

"Knives come very last, and before anything happens, we'll reevaluate how we feel about it. Until then, I have other things in mind." She circled so she stood behind Akali, leaning in to bite her on the neck with playful pressure that threatened to easily become stronger. Even so, Akali flinched when she felt breath on her neck, tongues of warmth raising goosebumps.

Evelynn's fingers snaked around the corner of her jaw, clawed tips brushing her lips. Then the claws disappeared in purple smoke and Evelynn pushed two fingers into Akali's mouth. "Suck."

Akali obeyed, greedily licking the fingers as Evelynn thrust them between her lips. 

"Good girl," Evelynn breathed in her ear, and then a lasher covered Akali's eyes, soft living fabric obscuring her vision and plunging her into darkness. "If there's anything you don't like, snap your fingers for me darling. Do you understand?"

Akali nodded, still sucking on Evelynn's fingers, but then the fingers spread apart to open her mouth. She felt the ball gag against her lips, and she wet it with her tongue, saliva coating Evelynn's fingers.

"Ready for the gag?"

Akali answered by pushing forward and closing her lips over the ball. The slick silicone fit in her mouth perfectly, preventing her lips and jaw from closing.

"So eager," Evelynn whispered, and Akali could hear the pride there. "I'll reward you finely for that."

As Evelynn ran her hands down her front, Akali could already feel the drool pooling in her mouth around the ball.  _ Oh god I've never been so turned on.  _ The hands stopped at the waistband of her yoga pants and travelled across the fabric instead of underneath it.

"My my, I can feel your wetness already." Instead of an answer, Akali bucked against Evelynn when the woman ran a finger over her clit, the fabric barrier between them providing an extra pulse of friction. Evelynn began rubbing in circles, feeling Akali up with her opposite hand, reaching under her shirt to pinch at her nipples, trace the lines of her ribs, knead her breasts.

"We've made quite a mess of you, haven't we darling?" Evelynn said, sliding her hand down Akali's pants, finally making contact with her bare skin. "I'm flattered."

Akali nodded and groaned around the ball gag as Evelynn fingered her roughly, pulling an orgasm from her body, Akali's voice muffled as she cried out. A rivulet of drool ran down her chin, dripping onto her shirt as the aftershocks of her climax faded. Then Evelynn was lowering her onto the couch, golden claws shredding through her yoga pants, the fabric ripped off with an eagerness she hadn't yet seen from Evelynn. 

Her lingerie underwear went next, lace severed as Evelynn's blades willed the garment off her, and Evelynn's mouth was on her cunt before she realized what was happening, the lasher lifted from her eyes so she could watch Evelynn devour her. Evelynn's reached up under her shirt and then ran down her sides, jumping across her ribs, following the lines of her stomach, and finally travelling onto her thighs. She came, bucking against Evelynn's face, held in place by the hands pressed firmly into her legs, keeping her from leaving the couch entirely.

"H-holy shit," she said, trembling as Evelynn stood, her chin slick.

"Are you going to be able to handle more?" she asked.

"Yeah," Akali nodded, melting into the sofa, "but I think I need a minute first. I don't know what you did with your tongue but it felt like you drew a summoning circle on my clit and then struck me with a bolt of lightning." Evelynn laughed at that, harder than Akali thought the woman would ever allow herself to, and then she was laughing as well. "Okay, that sounded stupid, but you get it! Silver-tongued devil."

Evelynn lifted her off the sofa with her lashers, ribbons curling around her legs when she began struggling. "I wanted to take a breeeeaak!" Akali complained.

"You can take a break in the chair."

"The chair? What chair?" She hadn't seen Evelynn grab one, but then the lashers placed her down on a high-backed chair. The gilded arms and intricately carved back made it feel like a throne, though it didn't have any padding. Her eyes widened when Evelynn came back into view holding two coils of rope. "Ooh, do I get to be tied up?"

"You wanted to relax," Evelynn pointed out, kneeling before Akali's knees. She tapped them once. "Open for me."

"You really know how to make a girl feel shy," Akali groaned, looking away.

Evelynn looked back to her with a smirk. "You're shy? After I, what was it you said, 'drew a summoning circle on your clit with my tongue'?"

"That was in the heat of the moment!"

"You want some adrenaline? Hold very still."

Evelynn grabbed the hem of Akali's shirt with her claws, ripping upwards to sever the fabric. Akali held her breath, knowing that those claws could easily cut into her. The claws stopped in their path a hair's breadth from Akali's throat, and suddenly she was completely naked, clothing tossed aside.

"Whoa."

"Do I have your attention now?" Akali gulped, nodding.

"Good."

Evelynn tied her legs to either leg of the chair, then her arms to the armrests. As Evelynn graced Akali's torso with a bikini harness, ropes flush with her skin enough to press but not enough to cut off her circulation, one of her lashers appeared in front of Akali's face holding a glass of water. She took small sips, the lasher careful not to spill. Not for the first time, Akali wondered if the lasher had eyes; Evelynn was focused on her ropework and wasn't watching the lasher's actions. Did she have full control over them, or had Akali gotten herself into a relationship with a demon and her two ribbonfiends?

"They're extensions of my will," Evelynn answered, finishing up a final knot. "I want to take care of you, so they do as well." She accepted the glass from her lasher, finishing it off. "More?"

Akali shook her head. The glass disappeared, and Evelynn draped herself across Akali's lap. Akali brushed her fingers over Evelynn's skin as much as she could, too restrained to do much more than frustratedly pull at her bonds.

"Akali darling, It's come to that time of the night."

Akali stilled. "What time would that be?"

"The time where you decide if you're comfortable with me bringing out my knives." She held up a hand to silence Akali before she could respond. "There's no correct answer to this, and even if you decide that you're into it and change your mind halfway through, I'll honor that with no strings attached. I'm not going to play games with you about this."

"I'm comfortable with it," Akali said, finding her breath coming shorter. "I'm a little nervous, but I want to try, at least."

"I'll walk you through the whole process, and we'll talk before each step. Akali," Evelynn said, gripping her knee hard enough that it would bruise in the morning, "you need to tell me honestly if you feel uncomfortable with anything, okay?"

"I promise I will."

Evelynn's lips curled back in a smile. "Then sit pretty for me while I prepare." One of her lashers grabbed the wand vibrator from the table as she stood. Akali lifted herself slightly at Evelynn's request, the head of the vibrator pressed hard between her clit and the chair, held in place by her body.

Evelynn patted her cheek. "Think you'll be okay here for a minute?"

Akali's back arched involuntarily when the device was turned on, sending vibrations through the chair and into her flesh, her voice coming out in a whine. "Oh god, yes."

"Good to hear. You're going to be a good girl and watch me prepare, aren't you?" Evelynn gripped her chin when Akali didn't respond, her body spasming as she ground her clit against the vibrator for a better angle. "Aren't you."

Akali bit her lip, the pain bringing the light back into her eyes. "Yes ma'am."

Evelynn procured a knife from thin air, purple smoke coalescing into a double-edged dagger with a six inch blade. She held it balanced across both palms, angling it so that Akali could see the intricately carved handle of white bone, the gracefully sloping blade inscribed with small runes, written darkness heralding back to time immemorial.

A whetstone was similarly procured from Evelynns smoke, set against the steel at an angle and drawn across to produce a resonant ringing sound. Akali watched with rapt attention as Evelynn sharpened the blade, but her eyes grew heavy as the thrum of the vibrator began to push her close to the edge.

The cold metal of Evelynn's claws forced her back into reality, gasping as the vibrator was pulled away, her clit aching with the void. "I told you darling, I need you to pay attention," Evelynn teased, turning off the vibrator and placing back against Akali's clit. "Maybe you need a little reward first though? You've been more than patient."

Akali nodded.

Evelynn turned the vibrator back on, guiding the shaft of it so it pressed hard against Akali's cunt, flipping the intensity up a notch. The new strength in the vibrations made Akali spasm, leaning forward against her bindings.

"Look at me while you come," Evelynn commanded, and Akali did, crying out as she climaxed, Evelynn grinding the head of the wand against her so she didn't have to move, drawing out every once of pleasure she could.

Evelynn lowered the intensity of the vibrator back to the lowest setting, backing off and accepting the knife from the lasher that held it in the interim. The familiar smell of alcohol filled the air as she cleaned the blade with a fine cloth, running it over the blade, polishing one debauchery with another until it shone under the lone lights, reflecting orange candles.

_ When did she light candles?  _ Akali found herself wondering, the thought leaving her with another arch of her back. When her eyes opened again Evelynn was sitting in a chair of her own across from her. She pulled the vibrator away again, filling Akali with two fingers, sliding in easily before removing her hand and putting the vibrator back, this time at its highest setting.

"Open," she said, holding her hand in front of Akali's lips. "I want you to taste how wet you are."

Akali accepted the fingers, running her tongue along them as Evelynn fucked her mouth, barely keeping herself from biting down as another orgasm rocked through her oversensitive clit. She came with a muffled cry around Evelynn's hand, rocking back and forth on the vibrator, Evelynn's grin growing as her fingers slid between Akali's lips, sensitive nerve endings multiplying the pleasure.

Evelynn turned off the vibrator before Akali could begin to buck from overstimulation, freeing her hand from Akali's mouth, fingers connected by a strand of saliva. Evelynn watched her for a moment, taking in her heavy panting, the flush she knew was spread across her face and chest, the wetness coating her thighs. 

"Enough of a show for you?"

Evelynn answered by pressing a kiss to her temple, then her cheek. "More than enough, darling. Have I told you how perfect you are?"

"Only a couple hundred times," Akali laughed. "But I don't mind being praised more."

"You've earned it a hundred times over." Evelynn ran her hand over the top of Akali's thigh. "Would you like to keep going?"

"With the knife?"

A nod.

"Please take good care of me."

"I'll give you nothing but my best."

Evelynn pulled her golden claws from the air, metal alighting on her fingers, adorning them in the regalia of a demonic queen. "We'll warm up with claws first to get you used to the sensation," she said, running the points down Akali's thighs. She shuddered at the sensation, but noted the claws were as warm as Evelynn's bare skin.

"Would you like to stay tied up?"

"What's your preference?" Akali asked.

"Keeping you tied would be optimal so I can control how you move. You're safe either way, but the ropes would allow you to react naturally, meaning you wouldn't have to force yourself to stay still."

"Then I'll stay like this," Akali said.

Evelynn ran her claws over the insides of her thighs, drawing a breath from her. "You know you're beautiful?"

Akali nodded, rewarded for her response with claws dancing across her ribs. She strained against her bonds, giggling. "That tickles!"

Evelynn reversed her claws, running the backs of them down Akali's throat and over her breasts, circling her nipples before continuing down her front until they nearly reached her folds, points leaping off her skin to tap against the chair.

_ Click click click. _

"Are you ready for the real thing?" Evelynn asked, standing up and moving away from their chairs. "Think about it while I grab you a glass of water."

"Please," Akali said when Evelynn returned. "I want to experience every part of your world, what's important to you. Show me?"

Evelynn kissed her in between giving her sips of water, cleaning up spills with the silk touch of her lashers. The other lasher brough the knife to hover between them, the silver length resting on the ribbon, displayed before each of them.

"May I kiss it?" Akali asked. She grinned, noticing the blush spreading across Evelynn's face.

"O-of course?" Evelynn took the dagger in her hands and held it to Akali's lips. She leaned down to kiss the cool metal, brushing her lips along the runes, whispering a prayer.

_ O dagger, bladed extension of my mistress' claws, engrave upon me her demonic will. _

She lifted her head to watch the breath coming from Evelynn's mouth, steam dissipating in the distance between them.  _ So this is the sort of thing that turns her on. _

"Evelynn."

"Yes, darling?"

"Worship me."

Evelynn grinned along with her, accepting the dagger from her lasher, placing the flat of it against the skin on Akali's chest, above her right breast. Akali didn't try to angle her head to watch, instead observing the hunger in Evelynn's eyes, which narrowed to slits. They met, vision connecting, and Akali felt an unbelievable rush of power flood through her body as she nodded to give her consent.

Evelynn angled the blade to align the edge perpendicular to Akali's skin, bringing it across in a quick but controlled motion. Blood and pain bloomed from the small cut, Akali tensing against the ropes as she drew in a shuddering breath, warm liquid lazily meandering down the front of her chest until it met silk rope.

"Are you oka—" Evelynn began, but Akali interrupted her with a forceful whisper.

"More."

Evelynn flipped the blade to the opposite side, aligning it with ceremonious care against Akali's skin before drawing it across again, creating a symmetry of pain. She gasped as the blade bit her this time, chest rising against the bindings.

"Darling?"

Akali blew out a breath through pursed lips. "I'm good, don't worry. Maybe move somewhere else for the next one?"

She closed her eyes as Evelynn wiped the blade free of blood, opening them again as she felt the cold metal against the top of her thigh. Evelynn leaned forward to adorn her flesh with kisses, running her free hand over the skin, breathing heavily. She almost lost herself there, caressing Akali's thigh with her fingers and mouth, but leaned up suddenly as if remembering the flat of the blade pressed against the skin.

Akali nodded, relaxing her muscles as Evelynn cut her, the ribbonlike pain echoing through her body and then returning to its point of origin. 

"You're a demon, right?" Akali asked between breaths.

"Yes?" Evelynn said.

"Lick me clean." Akali felt a thrill run through her clit as Evelynn obeyed, extending a long forked tongue to lap at the small rivulets of crimson spiderwebbing across her thighs. Akali watched in amusement, breaths coming in time with pulses of pain. "I can see you getting off on this."

"Shut up," Evelynn huffed, embarrassment and arousal fighting for dominance. "I'll punish you for this."

She made good on her words, moving to Akali's opposite thigh and leaving her mark there, catching the blood with her tongue before it could hit the chair. Akali allowed herself to flex and groan against the ropes once the knife had parted from her flesh, exhaling a long breath. "Holy fuck."

"Would you like more?" Evelynn asked.

Akali assented, and Evelynn moved to her forearms, leaving shallow lines of crimson. It became ritualistic, Evelynn worshipping the skin she aimed to cut, aligning the blade, then licking the blood away as Akali huffed against the ropes, drawing the perfect mixture of pain and pleasure from her.

Each cut became an act of love, beginning with trust and understanding, then moving to pain, pleasure, and back to love as Evelynn cleaned her, tongue running over sensitive skin, drawing even more gasps and harsh intakes of breath. Each cut became an act of ownership, Evelynn adorning Akali with her essence, a collaboration of the senses, as carnal as any act could be. Each cut became a heady feeling of control for Akali, as Evelynn was unable to move without her permission, directed to different parts of her body as she saw fit.

It was Evelynn who stopped them. "I think that's enough for today, darling."

Akali hazily looked down to count the cuts, finding herself a beautiful tapestry on display. Eighteen cuts, adorning her forearms, chest, abs, and thighs. Her eyes found Evelynn's, half-closed molten gold. "Would you like to eat my pain?"

"May I?"

Akali didn't try to hide the cruel smile she felt building. "Only if you kneel." And when Evelynn did, "Good girl."

Evelynn's breath blew against the inside of her thigh, and with an inhale, Akali felt the pain in her body drain away, clarity solidifying like watery crystal as Evelynn feasted on their cooperative debauchery, drunk on blood, pain, and lust.

She collapsed against Akali's slick thigh when she'd finished, trembling. "Akali, darling, I love you."

"I love you too," Akali laughed, running a hand through Evelynn's hair after a lasher began tocut through the ropes around her. "You're amazing."

"When I see you, I begin to believe in a higher power," Evelynn breathed, "and I'm a demon."

Akali laughed, then began laughing again as Evelynn's breath tickled her. "As much as I love seeing you on your knees with your head between my thighs, your breath is kinda tickling my clit."

"I suppose it's time to clean you up anyway," Evelynn said, gently caressing Akali near her wounds. She stood and went to the table, returning with a cloth which she used to clean Akali's skin before applying a topical disinfectant. 

"It doesn't sting," Akali said absentmindedly, unable to keep her fingers from curling into Evelynn's hair while the woman worked.

"I think we've given you enough pain for one day, no?" Evelynn began applying butterfly strips to each of the cuts, sealing them each with gentle kisses.

"How was I?"

Evelynn finished applying the final butterfly strip, taking Akali's face in both hands. "You are mine," she said, kissing her. "And I'm only interested in perfection. Don't be surprised if I spend my entire fortune on building a temple in your honor, simply so I can have the pleasure of worshipping you every single day of my life."

"You don't need to do that," Akali laughed. "In fact, please don't. You can worship me as long as you want. Under one condition, of course."

Evelynn's eyes sparked with interest. "Oh? And what would that be?"

"You allow me to worship you back."

Evelynn swept her up from the chair, holding Akali in her arms.

"I think we can arrange that, my love."

_ I'll gladly bleed for you. _


End file.
